color of hives

[pdmattox]

What color did you paint your hives?  Do you use more than one color?

[Michael Bush]

>What color did you paint your hives?

Usually I don't:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslazy.htm#stoppainting

> Do you use more than one color?
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeseightframemedium.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnucs.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeshorizontalhives.htm

Obviously not.

[Finsky]

.
You live in Florida and ask what color. You may notice if you put your hand on different color wooden board.

In sunshine dark colors are very hot and hot moves inside the hive.

[amymcg]

Some of mine are dark blue and some of my supers are red. That's just what happened to be in the mistint pile at Ace when I went.

If I lived in a hotter climate, I would paint them a lighter color.

[Brian D. Bray]

I paint most of my yellow with green bottom boards and tops.  when I run out of those colors I will continue to use what's handy until I need to buy some at which time I will probably opt for a latex wood stain.  Just stay away from dark colors like black or purple for the reasons Finsky cites.

[Michael Bush]

When buying paint on purpose that's not mistints ect. I always buy white.  But I'd like to start dipping in paraffin.

[Understudy]

Lake City, FL
I drive by that when I go to Atlanta. It is where I-10 and I-75 meet.
I have some white hive bodies. But they were painted before I bought them. I don't paint mine anymore.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[Apis629]

I've painted all my hives white.  I worry about anything darker overheating my hives here and, I had abotu 2 gallons of the the stuff just sitting around.

[pdmattox]

Lake City, FL
I drive by that when I go to Atlanta. It is where I-10 and I-75 meet.
I have some white hive bodies. But they were painted before I bought them. I don't paint mine anymore.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

Your right about the location I live south of that intersection at mile marker 412.

[Kirk-o]

I paint them white or I don't I'm a hpuse painter so I always have paint'

kirkio

[super dave]

what about ply just on the outside of the hive -hmmm deep thought of yours i would like to know :) ;) :( :-X :-\ :-* :'( :-D :shock: :? 8-) :lol: :-x :-P :evil: :roll: :mrgreen:

[Finsky]

what about ply just on the outside of the hive

Paint's duty is to protect wood.  If it is pure ply, it needs protection. Ply must be water resistant "canoe ply". Otherwise it will destroy outside.  Construction of ply hive body is quite expencive and complicated. Mere ply is too thin as hive material.

[super dave]

sorry i ment to say Polyurethane-- but htere was a typo-- but would Polyurethane work

hmmmm deep thoughts

[Jorn Johanesson]

sorry i ment to say Polyurethane-- but htere was a typo-- but would Polyurethane work

hmmmm deep thoughts

Polyurethane hives need a single paint to protect against UV breakdown. I used a single spray by a Dust hower, that blow instead of such and a hobby paint sprayer. 20 years no change to the hive! If you use buildings Polyurethane you must be aware of that the bees can gnag it and birds  like chickens love to pick it apart. :-)

[Cindi]

I am a bit of a clean freak.  White.  All my hives are white, it means to me pureness.  I don't think there is anything more beautiful in this world than white, anything.  I love colours though, don't get me wrong.  Besides, I can see EVERYTHING with white hives.  They stand out, in twilight and dawn, and even on a beautiful moonlit night.  White reflects light, keeps the hives cooler than a dark colour, like Finsky says.  Cool hives, keep the colours light.  Period.

With white hives, I can see very clearly from a distance if there is a problem with too much heat, swarms emerging and so on, it allows to see what is going on around the colonies.  Bees are dark and show up clearly against white background.  White I shall stick with.  If I wanted a little bit of colour just to spice things up, I would still leave the brood chambers white, the honey supers a different colour.  My opinion and preference.

I like to paint a little picture on each colony's box, usually just a circle or square, in a different colour, just for fun, and maybe it helps the bees to orient to their own hive more easily, maybe, it probably makes for a better "target" for them when they come home weary and heavy from some hard work.  LOL.

Have a great day, enjoy 2007.  Cindi

[Finsky]

My polyuretane hives are  a little bit yellow. The reason is that I went to village store and asked do they have  spoiled paint can which I may bye cheaply. It was somehow yellow and that it was.

Even into polyuretane sun shines and make wall too warm. Last summer I noticed that my polystyrene nucs were too hot when sun shined to long wall.

[Mici]

red, yellow, blue, green, purple, orange, white :-D i have only 7 hives of which only 5 are populated. if you plan on small beekeeping, it's great, far more easyer to remember the hive's strenght and other stuff. i always say "the greens are..."

[mick]

They are all made of pine here, from New Zealand mainly. All are painted white to minimise the overheating in summer.

The price of paint is very high here, a bit of a con job. What costs $4 to make sells for $40 its a rip off. I have only sprayed mine white, until I can track down some cheap paint. I have my eye out for a painter who likes honey!

[qa33010]

   Mistints and what ever designs my kids want to paint those painted white and light yellow.

David

[Kirk-o]

I'm a house painter so I have paint anytime I use white
kirko