[hockeyfan_019]

As I noted above, this question is geared more toward the hobbyists like me who probably have more time on their hands to deal with these minor things, since I don't have a ton of hives... The idea here is to add a shallow channel and a thin bead of silicone caulk around the top edge of my boxes, so the compression from above will seal out any minor gaps. I normally only have tiny gaps if any, since all my boxes have 3/4" box joints and I am very careful to keep them perfectly square, but over time they warp a little. If I could seal them like this, the bees won't have to propolize all the joints, and maybe I wouldn't need to tape any for winter either. Has anybody ever tried this? Thanks!

 

[elmer_fud]

I suspect the silicone would start sticking and gluing the boxes together making them harder to get apart. You would also have to be careful not to rip out the sides when prying boxes apart. I have not tried anything like this, but I have problems with painted box edges sticking together from the pressure on the paint.

If you try this I would do it with 1-2 boxes and use them for a year before changing all of your boxes.

 

[hockeyfan_019]

I suspect the silicone would start sticking and gluing the boxes together making them harder to get apart. You would also have to be careful not to rip out the sides when prying boxes apart. I have not tried anything like this, but I have problems with painted box edges sticking together from the pressure on the paint.

If you try this I would do it with 1-2 boxes and use them for a year before changing all of your boxes.

Exactly what I was thinking thanks. It may work better on a honey super also, instead of the joint between the bottom board frame and the lowest brood box, since that's where the most weight is. As long as I make sure there's some wax on the bottom of the upper-side box (like I could keep it all off anyways?) I suspect that it shouldn't stick too bad.

The idea here is that I'd like to try every trick I can to make sure there aren't any tiny cracks that a hive beetle may be able to crawl into. Since I'm trying a new special entrance to keep the buggers out, I don't want them to just short-circuit my plans by making their way in through a convenient crack in my woodenware somewhere I didn't notice!

 

[My-smokepole]

All i see are headaches from the silicone. If any thing use some caulk on the end grain of the finger joints. And good glue when you make them.

 

[bushpilot]

When the gaps are bigger than I like and the bees haven't propolized them yet, I duct tape the joints outside.

 

[Gray Goose]

As I noted above, this question is geared more toward the hobbyists like me who probably have more time on their hands to deal with these minor things, since I don't have a ton of hives... The idea here is to add a shallow channel and a thin bead of silicone caulk around the top edge of my boxes, so the compression from above will seal out any minor gaps. I normally only have tiny gaps if any, since all my boxes have 3/4" box joints and I am very careful to keep them perfectly square, but over time they warp a little. If I could seal them like this, the bees won't have to propolize all the joints, and maybe I wouldn't need to tape any for winter either. Has anybody ever tried this? Thanks!

Hockeyfan
The bigger the warp the bigger the cement block The bees run a high moisture inside with a good size weight the warp will give up. I made some hives where the saw was somehow of a smidge, 3- 4x2x8 bricks on 2 of the opposite corners fixed it, in a month. Gravity is a wonderful thing. I scrape and torch the edges, so for Me the silicone would not work. I also at times sand off a corner a bit to level the hive up. Also keep in mind in heat /summer the propolis does get soft and gooey, so it does what you want in warm season already.
YA agree too much time......
GG