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Paint the inside ?

13K views 59 replies 22 participants last post by  psfred 
#1 ·
I've built my hive bodies from used lumber , and I'm not sure just what it was exposed to ... I know that as a general rule the inside isn't painted , but is it maybe a good idea in this case ? I have plenty of paint , got a great buy on a gallon of exterior pastel tint base because the can was dented . They couldn't put it in their shaker because of the damage , and I got it for the astounding price of $5.00 !
 
#3 ·
There's a number of reasons not to paint the inside. firstly, bees are designed to live in a wooden house. Unpainted wood has absorbency and is easy for them to grip. If it's in the brood area they put their own treatment on it.

Paint may contain any number of chemicals that are not beneficial for the inside of a beehive.

Is the reason for possibly painting the inside because you are not sure what contaminants may be in the used lumber? Because if there are any they will slowly leach through the paint anyway.
 
#6 ·
If the paint is latex based and is a major brand then paint. Painting the inside of the box has no effect on the bees. I would not use an oil based paint or one with heavy metals in the pigment list or mercury as an anti-mildew agent. Your screened bottom will take care any moisture.
 
#7 ·
I'm a newbie so I'm going to ask a question rather than suggesting an answer:

Wouldn't painting the interior affect the moisture level in the hive?
 
#8 ·
Water vapor contacts a cold side wall, condenses and is absorbed into the wood, then is reabsorbed into the air and is carried out, or water condenses and runs down the side wall, out the open mesh bottom board or is reabsorbed into the air and is carried out.

Which is worse? I don't know, all I know is I have tried both and can tell no difference. If we can get the argument going the way the cluster heats the hive did, we can read and post all night! Beemandan, Acebird, Rader, sqkcrk where are you?
 
#18 ·
Which is worse? I don't know, all I know is I have tried both and can tell no difference. If we can get the argument going the way the cluster heats the hive did, we can read and post all night!
:p OK, I'll play. :D

If the #1 goal is to preserve the wood as long as possible, then painting both sides of the wood is likely to achieve that goal (compared to painting just the outside).

However, from my perspective, wood longevity is not the #1 goal. The bees longevity / fruitfulness / production is more important from my perspective, and if painting the inside reduces the application of propolis, then inside paint is contrary to my priorities. See the link in post #16.

:digging:

I should point out that our host, Barry, advocates painting the inside of hives with this comment from the free Beesource 'plans' that bear his name...
Fill any holes and paint all surfaces, both inside and outside and top and bottom edges, with two coats of paint.

http://www.beesource.com/build-it-yourself/10-frame-langstroth-barry-birkey/
:p
 
#14 ·
Yes, you can paint the inside of the hive. There are the natural or organic
paint on the net too. It is better than not knowing what the woods have been
treated with before. I paint my hives with the linseed oil to waterproof them. It leaves
a shiny coat on the outside when dried.
 
#15 ·
I don't think the wood was treated , it was all either cabinet doors (plywood) or closet shelving . Some of the shelving was painted , and I'm not sure if the paint might have lead in it . Most of the wood that had any kind of finish , I put the finished side out . There are a couple of pieces that ended up with paint on the inside - those will have the paint sanded off so I won't have to worry about it . I painted the outside and top/bottom edges of all but one with 2 coats today , the last one will be done tomorrow if weather permits . I will leave the insides unpainted because , as AR Beekeeper said , they'll propolize more - and propolis is much more beneficial to the bees .
 
#17 ·
I think it depends on your winter temperatures and humity. If below freezing, you may not have as issue.

We don't get below freezing and it is often wet, or foggy in the morning. So we have a lot of moisture in the hive.

Hives that are not painted on the inside get moldy and start rotting quickly. I use a clear varnish so I can see the rot spreading.

Boxes that I have painted on the inside as well take much longer before they start to deteriorate and there is little mould on the inside walls. As water condenses on the walls and runs out the bottom of the hive.
 
#19 ·
Rader; We know from reading previous posts on Beesource that the bees always know best, so if they use less propolis is it because the paint has done part of the job the propolis usually does? Does the sealing of the pores of the wood reduce the area that bacteria could live in? The smooth paint surface would be easier to apply the propolis to in a thin film that would still protect the bees, but require less effort and material than on a rough natural wood surface.
 
#22 ·
Would this be universal or would it be contraindicated for some areas of the country?

Complete newb here, who is as a matter of fact painting new hive bodies right now on the outside. I am in Central Florida where it is humid year round. Even our "dry" part of the year is more humid that places out west and we might get a light freeze 1-3 nights out of the year.
 
#25 ·
As a painter apprentice I was taught that the paint film slowed the movement of water vapor in and out of the wood, this caused the wood to expand and contract slowly. The slow movement resulted in less warping, cracking or checking of the wood and less strain on the surface film of paint. Less strain on the paint film resulted in longer live of the paint before it cracked and peeled. For even movement of the water vapor out of the wood the paint should be the same thickness on all sides.

Now we know why the bees add only a little propolis, they are allowing the moisture to evaporate evenly!

Boy, will I be glad when warm weather comes and I can get outside to work bees.
 
#26 ·
Me too ! I'll be calling you for advice on timing , I pretty much know what to do , but not necessarily when ... at least I now have the equipment I'll need for a split ready to go . I do need to build a couple more medium boxes , I want to retire the first two I got or at least hold them for later use since they came with 9 frame spacer rails .
 
#28 ·
From my home repair and handyman experience , i find that latex works just fine over enamel - if you degrease (I like TSP - the real stuff , not the new PC variety) and scuff/degloss it first . Gotta give the new paint a "tooth" to hang on to .
 
#29 ·
I believe any paint finish that is an oil base bonds better with an undercoating that is also an oil base. The problem is finding an oil base, at least in this area, everything is latex base. When using a latex exterior grade paint for a finish coat it is best if you can prime with a latex exterior primer rather than an oil base primer. The two materials bond and have the same amount of flex, so there is less cracking and flaking.

Like Terry C says, the gloss of the base coat should be dulled by a through sanding to help the new material "grip" the old. At one time there were products that could be added to the paint, or could be rubbed on the old gloss that would help the two to bond together. I have not found TSP in a long time, just substitutes that are not as strong acting. A repaint on old oil base paint calls for a lot of scraping, sanding and washing. The bad part is if the original paint is flaking or peeling, it usually continues to do so. Often the best approach with old painted bee equipment is to use it as is. Use it in out yards where the neighbors can't see it.
 
#31 ·
My time in the apprentice program was long, long ago. Many improvements have been made in the materials I used versus what they use now. My advice would be to use a major brand, and if you can afford it, use that brands middle or first line product.

Most of the latex I used was an Alkyd resin, but as I said, it was a long time ago. It is hard to believe we learned the formulas for white lead/linseed oil exterior house paints and could buy the tubes of white lead in the paint stores and most of the interior wall paints was a flatting oil base for use on plaster walls. I did not start to use a lot of exterior latex until the mid to late 60s. I changed occupations in the early 70s so most products used now were not used then.
 
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