Painting the hive

[drmanhadan]

When painting the hive, is using a white latex-based exterior primer okay?
There wouldn't be any overcoat.

[Mr.Beeman]

Sure it is. BUT, it will not repel moisture. A top coat is necessary, unless you use the new paint with primer.

[psfred]

I'm old fashioned, I prefer an alkyd primer, but exterior latex primer is fine. Just properly top coat with at least two coats of good paint within a week or so -- if you leave it bare much longer, the top coat will not stick properly.

Primer is not stable exposed to air and ultraviolet light -- if you don't put proper exterior paint on it, the primer will deteriorate within a few months and probably just become dust and disappear, leaving you with bare wood.

If cost is a problem, there is almost always a pint, quart, or gallon of mis-tint paint at all the big box stores in the paint section (Lowes, Home Depot, etc). Any fairly light color is fine, and a pint will paint at least six deeps with two coats. Colors may be crazy, but that doesn't matter to the bees.

Primer "included" paints are fine -- must make sure you have exterior grade top coat paint on the outside when you finished.

Fill all the cracks in the joints with TiteBond III before painting, this should extend the life of the box considerably.

Peter

[mrobinson]

One of our good beek-friends paints each of her hives creatively, and has even named each one of the queens inside.

Our hives (all hTBH's) are old-wood with a single exterior-only coat of Thompson's Water Seal. (Interior surfaces and bars are unpainted.)

[Charlie B]

I make my own migratory top covers out of plywood that really take a beating so I've been experimenting with paint to see what holds up the best for my covers and boxes. I found that an outdoor latex semi-gloss repels water and hold up much better than flat latex. I use Alex's outdoor "25 year" caulk to plug up holes and cracks and then paint over it.

[arrowwood]

I have a hive painted with 2 coats of kilz2, a white latex-based exterior primer, it's in its second year outside with no deterioration at all...

[FlowerPlanter]

I use "25 year" caulk on holes and cracks too

I also used kilz2

I am testing to see if kilz2 mixed in the paint works as good.