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Bee Hive Color

29K views 82 replies 41 participants last post by  Snookie 
#1 ·
Why are most hives painted white? Does color make a difference?
The reason for the question is I have a couple neighbors that will prolly complain and want to paint my boxes a green color to blend them with the background. I will be putting them up well before I get bees so if he complains about it I can show he is just an Jack---.
 
#41 ·
Philip: as stated by several look for "opps" paint. locally lowes it is $5/gal. or if your lucky $25/5 gal. home depot is $7/gal. real deals is often $1/quart. ..the best deal I got was at lowes, Valspar premium with the original $40 tag for $5 less 5% contractor discount less a $5 rebate, they paid me 25 cents to take it, a great light blue color. last summer real deals had krylon exterior white stain killer for $1/quart they had a lot of it for a while. the stain killer is great for fixing up old boxes.... you do not have to equate low price with low quality.... this time of year the opps paint is scarce. be patient and keep your eyes open.
 
#45 ·
I started off the same (afraid the neighbors would see and complain) so I painted them using the left over house paint and put them by the house. Nobody knew they were there for multiple seasons.
http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n599/6minz/ac2e03b5-7232-4bf2-8a2a-380954844f57_zps6d8956b2.jpg
My nucs I use for swarm traps so paint them camo:
http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n599/6minz/DSCF4435_zps4d5f9932.jpg
My scrounging for paint is getting bad I, always check and now I have been looking for latex stain to use as primer. Here is the ‘dog poop’ colored hives from last year using $47 Miller deck paint.
http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n599/6minz/DSCF4265_zpsf2950e48.jpg
 
#46 ·
Something that hasn't been touched on is primer. This is the one part of painting I won't skimp on. Top grade oil primer is all I'll use. The top coat I don't think has near the impact as the primer does in preserving the wood. Most any exterior acrylic paint will service well.
 
#47 ·
+1

I was fortunate enough to get a quart of Glidden Gripper Primer in the color I actually wanted YELLOW for $2.00

I have put two coats of this stuff, is dat good or do I need to put on a couple of top coats?

See pictures...... Oh do I need to paint the top/side up of my actual top bars?





 
#50 ·
I an suspicious that some local beekeepers are unwittingly matching their hive colors to the local Porta Potty colors. I was baby sitting this box, it is not my color.


 
#52 ·
I an suspicious that some local beekeepers are unwittingly matching their hive colors to the local Porta Potty colors. I was baby sitting this box, it is not my color.
That sure looks like one of your boxes to me. It has those ugly angled hand hold bars you brag about all the time.
 
#55 ·
I paint 'em different colors to go with their names. It's part whimsy and part making life easy for me to associate the "name" of the queen and her hive stack color. So I've got Fern who lives in a green hive; Iris who lives in purplish-blue hive; and Buttercup, well, you can easily guess what color her hive is.

My husband asked how many names for hives I thought I could come up with. I had already Googled for "girls names of flowers", so I had a ready answer: there are dozens of them.

Next Spring I'm planning on welcoming Rose, Bluebell, Daisy, Dusty (Miller) and Lily. If I'm still mad for bees, then the following year: Ivy, Holly, Marigold, Petunia and Violet.

I haven't planned any further out, yet.

I, too, love color, and chose my first set of names/colors for how they would look together more than anything. Alas, they have only just in the last ten days been united together but are invisable under the insulation blankets and now, heavy snow. Should they hang in there with me all winter, I am looking forward to a bouquet of hives a-blooming on the hill above my pond. I'll have to play catch-up though because being a new beekeeper I didn't know I'd need supers and shims and ass't other bits and pieces of woodenware. I only discovered I needed them when I needed them too-urgently to paint.

Enj.
 
#56 ·
After a bit of research, I used Eco Wood Protect on my 1 top bar hive. I'll be using it again this Spring on a new Lang. I'll see how it is in 5 years and let you know. ;) I have quite a few neighbors who are equally as hateful of my bees as your neighbor seems to be. I'm in a suburban, "Stepford Wives" type neighborhood. The neighbors just about lost it when they found out I was getting honeybees. Once the bees came they realized that swarms wouldn't be chasing after their party guests, and they've kept their lips sealed. (Although 1 neighbor brought over a small pile of dead wasps and asked if they were mine. hah.) The aged look of the EcoWood Protect helps the hives blend in. Now that we're adding another hive, I may build a small enclosure against the house out of 3 privacy fence panels to hide out hives. I hate the neighbors in our business! Good Luck with your neighbors!

Another funny story... the little girls next door aren't allowed to cross the property line because of our bees. They ended up with a large ground wasp next in the front lawn where the kids play. It gave me quite the chuckle.
 
#58 ·
Hahahaha, Ok Bean; since you are high jacking this thread, some folks still believe that nature is beautiful, and the most prevalent color in nature is what? . . . "Green." :) The most prevalent blossom is generally assessed to be "yellow." Red is actually the least. :eek: In order to be noticed, some things have to be red. :D The color red obviously has a short lived voice and reputation, as it is the paint color that oxidizes faster than any other; which means you'll be painting a whole lot more. :waiting:

JD Green blends with nature in every area, and the splashes of yellow brighten each and every day; like the sun. See, they don't have to be hidden in the barn to preserve them. JD, in the field, makes everything grow better. Just sayin . . . ;) :popcorn:
 
#67 ·
I really wanted to go with a nice wood stain and clear coat sealant like LDS prepper did here.



however, it looks like I wont be able to do that without a lot of added work and expense and still only have it last a year or two (it sounds like the rain isn't an issue, it's the sun). I may just end up trying to find a nice color deck stain. That sounds like it's good for several years. :kn:
 
#70 ·
There is a very good bee breeder/scientist up here. He paints all of his hives green, and spray paints the front of the bottom boards and entrance reducers different colours to help orient the bees (he also does not keep them in rows). Why you might ask? They are camouflaged from less then honest other beekeepers. not a bad idea considering the amount of beehive theft seemed to raise with the amount of deadouts here in Ontario.
 
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