New bee question re painting

[Salmo]

I've done some reading on paining hive boxes, most articles and posts seem to indicate you key paint the outside of the box only.   However, all articles mention the high moisture content of active hives and how quickly unprotected soft wood will rot.  Finally, one article I read from a university stated that they painted inside and outside of the hive boxes.

So the question to the experts here, how do you paint your hive boxes, outside only or both sides?


Thanks Randall

[neillsayers]

 I'm new to beekeeping so wait until a more experienced keep answers. I've just painted the outside. I question that the bees would tolerate paint on the inside.

BTW, welcome to the forum!

[Barbarian]

Welcome to the forum.
You will get some useful and friendly advice to you question.
I'm not in your vicinity. Once the local advice has appeared, I will post a bit about the technique I use.

[efmesch]

Welcome to the forum Randall,  That's a great question you asked.

I paint only on the outside.   Though I wouldn't make a big issue about avoiding inside painting, my personal feeling is that it is not necessary and perhaps undesireable.
Reasons:
1. The bees sometimes partly coat the insides of the hives with wax and propolis.  When they need it, they do it themselves.  If they don't, they won't.
2. Paints (not all, but some) might have undesireable ingredients (for the bees or the honey or both).
3. The unpainted inner surfaces can absorb moisture--maybe not good for preventing rot, but posssibly beneficial in aiding the bees to maintain their desired conditions inside the hive. Painted surfaces might increase the likilhood of condensation during some seasons.
4. When scrape-cleaning the insides of hives, over the years the paint will come off anyway.
That still leaves the question of wood preservation to lengthen the life of the hive boxes.  One or two coats of flax oil should do a good job without the negative potential of paint.

I'm intersted in hearing what other forum members think.

[iddee]

I paint the outside.
The bees propolize the inside.The bees do the better job. I wish I could get them to do the outside, too. 

[kebee]

 Welcome to the forum Salmo, I only paint the outside my self and as iddee says the bees will take care of the inside better than we can.

Ken

[rwlaw]

I'm a slob painter, if some gets on the inside when I'm painting, I don't sweat it, the frame rests get a coat as I use the metal protector strips and I don't want any rot to start there . The bees do a fine job waterproofing and sealing the surface and cracks on the inside.

[Perry]

I paint the outside only, and let the bees coat the inside.

[Wandering Man]

I paint only the outside.

Wife painted the first couple of hives, and painted the outside and the edges. I have to use the hive tool to separate the boxes, since the paint tends to glue themselves together even when there are no bees. Add propolis and bees, and I have to work really hard to lift one hive off another.

[Lburou]

I've always painted the outside only...But have modified my practice recently. 

Now with the arrival of SHB and locally heavy wax moth pressure, I like to clean the bottom board more often, and painting it makes that job a lot faster and less work. 

Having more humidity in Texas, I'm seeing more mold growing over the hole in the inner cover, so I have started painting the inside of the top cover. 

Like Ef, I've always been of a mind that the unprotected wood inside the hive bodies and supers served as a buffer to high humidity in summer and winter, so, I leave the inside of the hive bodies alone.

HTH   

[Salmo]

Thanks everyone , appreciate your input.  I'm in Halifax NS by the way, so I suspect the humidity in the hive will normally exceed the environment outside.


R.

[Barbarian]

I paint only the outside of a hive with dark brown wood preservative.
Most UK keeps don't like their hives to be obvious. We can get problems with vandals, some neighbours and thieves.

In winter, I raise the rear of the hive slightly. I like to think that the cold damp air can flow out of the hive.

[LazyBkpr]

Usually the damp air rises because it is warmer as it comes from the bees.. It condenses when it gets cold. but yeah, tilted forward lets the moisture drip out the front. some places are worse than others depending on your climate.

   I have also started painting the bottom board I think it was LEE that said it makes cleaning them easier..   Many of us grew up in a time that paint was toxic. While I am sure it would still not be good for you to EAT paint, its not as bad as it used to be...
   As most others said, the bees will coat the inside of their hive given time..  no matter if you paint it or not, so at worst it is a waste of paint..
   I was taught a LONG time ago that the bees NEED a certain amount of condensation in the winter.. it is where they get their water, but having that condensation DRIP on them from above is a VERY bad thing when it is COLD outside..   Painted inner walls will not necessarily promote MORE condensation, but give that condensation nowhere to go.. meaning its not absorbed by the wood... is that a good thing or a bad thing?
   I have NOT entered into any argument between the virtues of painted and unpainted inner walls...  I have never painted inside, and I know it works, so I have never tried the other way...   Finding unbiased scientifically accurate information is difficult, so if I know something works I usually stick to it..
   Where you live makes a big difference in certain methodology..  Some methods do not work well in some areas/climates, and I have killed my fair share of bees trying some of those different things..  I have a feeling that if you painted your inner walls that it would not have a dramatic impact on winter survival, and MAY give you a little better longevity on your woodenware...
    However...  at a great cost of about 5 dollars a box, (making them myself) and having boxes many years old that are still in excellent repair..  I don't paint the inner walls....   I have found that saving that paint to fix the corners I chip the paint off of has made a greater difference in how long the wood lasts.
   I know I have probably repeated what many others have said, just wanted to toss my own op opinion into the mix!
   Scott