# What pretty colors...



## vallyfarm (Oct 24, 2006)

What pretty colors do you use to paint your boxes? I'm just starting up this year, so will most likley have many silly questions. The place I ordered my set-up from said that mosy any color is fine, just use a good quality paint. SO, all I've ever seen are white. Why? Also, I am a true believer in Exterior paint being oil based. Or is this a bad idea for the bees? Should the insides be painted also? Thanks for any help:goodjob: Mike


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## Batt (Sep 8, 2006)

Any color seems to be fine, except that darker colors heat up faster in the sun. That might be alright in the spring, but might overheat them in the summer. I prefer to use a good quality latex myself as I think it "breaths" better. No need to paint the insides as the girls will decorate to suit themselves. YMMV

ETA: I have a close friend who is a retired paint chemist who still likes to dabble with paints...I get his culls and left overs. I asked him how long before I would have repaint..His answer was "not in your lifetime".:bouncy: Love it!


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## BjornBee (Jan 17, 2011)

White was probably a hold over from the days that almost all buildings were painted one of two colors....white or red. Usually a white house, and a red barn. That is what the local store carried.

I think many colors are fine, the bees do not care. You should not use real dark colors as this may lead to problems with heat in the summer in southern location.

Do not paint the inside of the hive. The wood actually provides a certain amount of moisture control and other benefits.

Oil based paint is fine for the outside.

Most of my paint comes from picking over the "ooops" paint section of a few paint stores.

I do have several apiaries that have all the boxes painted white. They are farms that are part of a historical "rails and trails" map, which includes their farm or bed and breakfast. They want all their hives for the visitors to be neat, painted white, etc. 

I have no problems providing this request. Afterall, all their building are not painted a multitude of pastel colors.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

We don't use paint on our hives. Instead we buy OOP's siding and fence stain which seems to work just fine for us.
We are intergrated bee keepers so we have all colors from dark brown to white.
Mosty of the stain cost us $5.00 for a gallon to $15.00 for 5 gallons.
I have even seen OOP's stain and paint at Wal Mart.















































 Al


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## vallyfarm (Oct 24, 2006)

Thanks guys. I'll go looking for the oops section next time I'm in town.:cowboy: Mike


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

DH said I had to much time on my hands waiting for my first bees LOL I painted mine all white then went back and used a bee stamp to 'decorate' my hives..then went back again and painted the inside of the bees with gold paint and added little dashes between the bees..you know.. to make it look like the bees were flying all over the outsides LOL Well, they're my hives and I like looking at them!!


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

OH and on my honey supers I painted a skep and the word Honey in yellow and outlined in black...didn't want the girls to misunderstand what the box was for ya know.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

LOL... Sure hope your bees don't get confused and go stinging your box thinking it's a swarm coming to take their honey!!... Wonder if bees can read.... or know what a skep is if they've only been in hives... hummmm.... I'm sure they look beautiful and your bees will enjoy them, too.


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## DownHome (Jan 20, 2006)

We have mostly white, but my husband made me some queen castles this year out of deeps, so I painted them pink. My son is starting his first hive this year. He painted it white with red polka dots. Looks pretty cute actually, but a lot of work just have a painted hive.

downhome


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