paint woes !!

[junglebill007]

I may have messed up...again!

I just finished building a standard haive, screen bottom board, and slat-rack per plans provided on this site. But.....I painted it all, inside and out with an oil-based paint!

Some ol' timers have stated they wouldn't use the hive because of the smell. The hive I bought the bees in is poorly made (but-end joints) and you can see small cracks in the corner joints.

Help!!

[Sundance]

I would take a sander to the interior surfaces and remove as much as you can. Some is not a big deal. The factor I would be most concerned about is how long has it been since painting??

Let the boxes set out in the open for a couple of days after sanding to outgas.

Since it is only one hive the sander option will be quick.

[dickm]

Just don't put the bees in until it dries. smile.gif I think all will be well when the paint cures. Put it in the sun with a fan in it.

Dickm

[junglebill007]

Painted them two days ago. They are outside now, airing out. You guys think I should sand the interiors? Even the slat-rack and Screen bottom board?

[Ross]

A few days in the sun should get them pretty much aired out. I wouldn't try sanding at this point.

[honeyman46408]

I have boxes that I painted inside and out (latex exterior) that are 5 years old and the girls don`t seem to mind.

I know that people have different openions but I was told to do this to seal up cracks that SHB could lay eggs in and the person that told us that is a retired Bee Lab guy so again what ever works for you.

[Brent Bean]

I paint all surfaces to my screen bottom boards and the outside edges of the slatted racks, the bees love them. You won’t have any trouble with them, don’t waste the effort sanding them.

[peggjam]

Just let them air out good. One way to tell if paint is cured, and won't bother the bees is to seal them up inside a car overnight. When you open the door in the morning you shouldn't be greeted by a strong oder of paint. If you can smell it, it hasn't cured enough to put the girls in.

peggjam

[Michael Bush]

Personally I wouldn't bother trying to remove the paint now. But I wouldn't paint the insides of anything in a hive except maybe the bottom board.

[Sundance]

Normally I would agree about not bothering with sanding. If it has cured well then leave it alone. My experience with oil base paint is that it takes a long time to completely dry to the point of not giving off vapors.

If it has been very hot with very low humidity then it may very well be OK. It would not be OK here due to humidity.

I like peggjam's idea of the car.

[Cyndi]

I have a painting business and we use oil base paint all the time - mainly on kitchen cabinets and trim interior's. Sometimes it can take an entire week to dry unless your adding thinner or Jap Dry to the paint. I would be very careful about oil base paint on the inside of your hive simply because if it didn't dry or cure properly, oil base paint has a tendency to peel, and un-cure itself under a heavy moisture environment. It has a terrible smell and I would not want my honey to be in contact with it - period. Also, oil base paint today still has some trace amounts of lead - even though most paint manufacturer's have tried to eliminate it, it is still present. I wouldn't trust it coming into contact with food grade quality honey.

Also, the same applies to oil base paint when under extreme conditions in heat/or an object baking in the hot sun. For instance, this is why we don't paint exterior homes using oil based paint anymore, latex is used and even in extreme temps. hot or cold, we sometimes have to paint houses every 3 years using latex. I would definitely sand it off and get it back to the original wood, air it out for a few days in this hot sun. If you want to re-paint it with latex, make sure you sand it and rough it up as latex won't cover oil based paint, but you can put oil over latex. Does that make sense?

[junglebill007]

Thanks for all the advice. Next time.....latex paint only and only on the outside! Kind of a bummer to have done all that work and goofed it all because of the paint. Oh well, live and learn, right?

Thanks again for all the help.

[Joel]

I've found that semigloss last almost twice as long as flat because it reflects sunlight and rain better and does not chalk. I do hate painting equipment though as I spend so much time due to our rotation doing it every year. One of these days I'm going to buy a Wagner!

[Cyndi]

Hey Joel,

Yes, I agree with you about Semi-Gloss or Eggshell (which I believe is for interior paint - wouldn't want that on your beehive??). We only use Benjamin Moore Products and Sherwin Williams. Lately, I'm not impressed with the formula change in BM products and have been using Sherwin Williams Super Paint. If your going to Home Depot - forget about using Behr Paint..it sucks. We get more paint re-do's from clients that purchased this paint and tried to do it themselves. You get what you pay for and its not worth the savings over the headache.

[Ross]

Consumer Reports rates Wal-Mart branded paint pretty highly.

[FordGuy]

jungle bill, I just happened to see that mann lake stocks some oil based paints and stains - if they sell it, what could be wrong with it? why not paint over it with latex to cover the smell? maybe it won't work, maybe it will.

[dickm]

I seem to remember that Latex paint can't be used if you are making organic honey. Anyone know about this?

Dickm

[Michael Bush]

>I seem to remember that Latex paint can't be used if you are making organic honey.

I thought they were still arguing about the organic standards.

[guatebee]

From all previous opinions on this thread, I assume the issue of contaminating residues is nobody´s concern, which surprises me.

A major concern with hive painting is that the edges on boards are frequently scraped clean of wax and propolis. Scraping thin layers of paint may end up in your honey as fine paint dust, which will go through most strainers.
Some honey buyers are increasingly concerned about honey contaminants, and certainly paint IS an undesirable addition... especially oil/solvent containing paints.
Down here in Guatemala, most beekeepers have quit painting hive parts for fear of seeing their honey rejected by importers. Still, I don´t see it fair to let wood rot away, since hive parts are a significant part of beekeeping costs.

My advise to many has been to go for latex paints with certified NO LEAD content, and then be careful not to paint surfaces prone to being scraped.
Screen bottom boards are one major help in keeping insides dry. Good telescoping covers also help in keeping rain water from ruinig boxes.

Mexicans I hear have developed a technique for "deep frying " all wooden material in very hot paraffin.
Does anyone Know for sure how safe it is to use Copper Naphtanate? Does it contaminate wax or honey to the extent of being detected by lab tests?

[Michael Bush]

>From all previous opinions on this thread, I assume the issue of contaminating residues is nobody´s concern, which surprises me.

That's why I never paint anything that is going to be inside the hive.

>Down here in Guatemala, most beekeepers have quit painting hive parts for fear of seeing their honey rejected by importers.

I've never heard of that here.

>Mexicans I hear have developed a technique for "deep frying " all wooden material in very hot paraffin.

It's popular here, but not as much as paint. Mostly it takes a big tank and most don't want to mess with the tank. A lot use parafin and gum rosin mixed.

>Does anyone Know for sure how safe it is to use Copper Naphtanate?

The claim is that it's safe. I never used it.

>Does it contaminate wax or honey to the extent of being detected by lab tests?

I'd love to know the answer to that question. smile.gif

[heartbeat]

parifin can be a problem on hives because the wood turns black with age. this would be ok up north, but will creat a heat problem in the south.

[RBar]

My experience from years ago is that any paint they do not care for, they will remove themselves! Probably a waste of energy, but not a fatal problem...