Colors of Hive

[JD's Liquid Gold]

Will the linseed oil protect the wood from long-term water exposure as well as latex paint? Tks!!

[JD's Liquid Gold]

Free paint is what its all about! You asked for pink? Wouldn't a semi load look nice going down the highway?
Attachment 1985

Not bad after all...

[JD's Liquid Gold]

I paint all my equipment the queen color of the year it was built. It makes for a bright and vibrant apiary

Plus, the random combination of colors of equipment reduces drifting.

"reduces drifting"? What is drifting?

[Specialkayme]

Sometimes when foraging bees return home they can't tell which hive is theirs. If there are four white hives lined up, and hers was the second to the left, she may get confused and pick the one that is second to the right. Or vice versa. The shifting from one hive to another is referred to as drifting.

Having clearly distinguished hives reduces drifting. Painting all your hives with different colors, different patterns, or putting them in different orientations makes the hive look different than it's neighbors, and more clearly identifiable and rememberable to a returning forager.

[Blackwater Bee]

Sometimes when foraging bees return home they can't tell which hive is theirs. If there are four white hives lined up, and hers was the second to the left, she may get confused and pick the one that is second to the right. Or vice versa. The shifting from one hive to another is referred to as drifting.

Having clearly distinguished hives reduces drifting. Painting all your hives with different colors, different patterns, or putting them in different orientations makes the hive look different than it's neighbors, and more clearly identifiable and rememberable to a returning forager.

I painted my first 6 hives white and lined them all up in the straightest row that would make an engineer proud, but the amount of "Drift" was horrendous. Today, I paint them all different colors to eliminate their confusion and because I like to paint

[rwurster]

Free paint is what its all about! You asked for pink? Wouldn't a semi load look nice going down the highway?
Attachment 1985

Hahaha free paint IS what it's all about.

[Yucca Patrol]

My wife wanted anything i placed in her garden to be pretty. I got a couple buckets of light colored "oops" paint from Home Depot and let her pick several other colors. We ended up with some very adorable hives of mixed pastel colors: yellow, green, purple, and blue. I even sprung for fancy copper garden covers that my wife discovered in the catalog. Sure, I could have bought a good bit more equipment if I hadn't bought those covers, but they help to make the wife happy to have bees in her garden, so they're worth it.

Later, I read about how different colored hives could reduce drifting, and patted myself on the back for doing something good for the bees even if I didn't know it when I was doing it.

pX6hh.jpg

[throrope]

. . . the random combination of colors of equipment reduces drifting.

Wish my lady would drift.

[throrope]

I doubt the bees care about color and IMHO the heat issue is seriously over rated. I use deck sealer for an "au-natural" look. Those who appreciate bees see them and they blend in for all others.

DSCN0683-001.JPG

[TheRatLover]

I like that mounting setup. That to keep predators away?

Our worst predator here is ANTS! I was told to use plastic containers that hold canola oil around each leg stand, but it seems the bees kinda like the yellow color of it, and I end up loosing some bees in it. So sad!!! Others mentioned old motor oil...I may lean that way when I refill.

Since that pic was taken, not only have I installed the nucs into my TWO hives, but I added a natural stump boundary in order to keep our tortoise from bull-dosing them down. It is working amazingly well!

I will be putting up a new picture next week after this busy holiday weekend is over....

Will touch base again Tuesday,

Lori

[Adam Foster Collins]

Mine are all dark chocolate brown. It rarely reaches 80F in the warmest part of the year here, so I'm hoping the dark color will help with core temperature year round.

Adam

[hilreal]

Bees seem to like nice brown trees....

[Cantrellc123]

With the issue of SHB's being present in most of our hives and the fact that most people have found decreased #'s of SHB within colonies sitting out in full sun light, would it be wise to start painting with dark colors?
One of my principal concerns painting dark would be the possibility of over heating in the summer months.

Does anybody have any experience with dark paint?

[TheRatLover]

Does anybody have any experience with dark paint?

Yes, I do! My hives are painted camouflage. They are located under trees that allow for mottled sunlight during the Summer months, and the leaves fall during winter which allows for more sunlight in to keep the hives warmer. At first, I thought this wasn't going to work, but after one year like this, I see the benefits!

-Lori

PS. Since my last post, my hives have grown in strength, and now they seem to be able to tackle those pesky ants!

[Seymore]

Cantr, what zone are you in? That will be a factor in the path you choose. Our summers get up to 110 with oppressive humidity. Light colors would be better here. Bees like to keep the internal temp around the brood at about 95 degrees. In Canada, they need all the help they can get, I would imagine. If coastal San Diego, not so much. Inland does get hot but not so humid. You have to consider your own microclimate or at least ones similar to yours. I'd prefer light colors and a bit more sun.

[Beregondo]

F You asked for pink?

That looks like something I'd expect to see in Walk-up-and-kickum county, not Pacific.

Does it make 'em easier to find in the puckerbrush?

[Cantrellc123]

Cantr, what zone are you in? That will be a factor in the path you choose. Our summers get up to 110 with oppressive humidity. Light colors would be better here. Bees like to keep the internal temp around the brood at about 95 degrees. In Canada, they need all the help they can get, I would imagine. If coastal San Diego, not so much. Inland does get hot but not so humid. You have to consider your own microclimate or at least ones similar to yours. I'd prefer light colors and a bit more sun.

I'm in zone 7A

[jmgi]

If you keep your hives close together, say around a couple feet or less, I would paint them different colors. They have done studies on what colors the bees can see and differentiate between, and white, green, yellow, violet, or blue-violet are the ones. John

[honeyman46408]

oops is my color\

[Seymore]

jmgi - wonder if they r same colors, close by, but different shapes - like a nuc vs a standard?