# Newbie hive painting mistake?



## thegriffiths (Jan 15, 2004)

All,

This will be my first year with bees and I may have made a newbie mistake. I ordered a cypress wood hive. Its such beautiful wood, I didnt want to paint it white and take away all the beauty. So I went out and bought some stain/sealant that stains the wood the color of a violin. 

After staining the hive today with the stain, I thought it seemed to be more of a red-ish color. This triggered a memory of reading that bees cant see red. 

Have I made a mistake? I am sure I could paint over them - but if this color is ok I will leave it. Just want everyones opinion.

Thanks in advance!

thegriffiths.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Don't worry about it. The bees will orientate to the hives placement not the color. Then once it is going good they will also smell it.

 Al


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## Mavors (Mar 30, 2007)

I second. You should be fine. Just choose a good spot cause as they say "You can move a hive 3 feet or more than 3 miles, but not in between." Bees will go back to the old spot and be so confused that they may never make it back to the hive.

Bees use the sun and other landmarks to find the hive. Doubt the color will effect it much for that. If the red is dark though you may have some heat problems in the summer. Good ventilation and source of water needed. Only reasons I like white is to reduce heat gain and I can see bee tracks from sickness on them easily this time of year.

Mav


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Paint them what ever color. You can buy the OOPs stuff cheap. Never had a problem with the dark hives over heating here. But I use screen bottom boards upper entrances and vent holes under the lift handles.


I also move the hives as close as 4 feet from where they were or 2-300 yards. Of course you have to know how to do it.























































 Al


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## thegriffiths (Jan 15, 2004)

Thanks for the help guys! I see red in your pictures there Al so I am going to go ahead and keep this one the color I stained it. 

Part of the ability of me being able to get the bees in the first place is that my wife wanted it to be an "attractive addition" to the garden area. So this is a great relief.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

These hives were moved about 70 yards. You can see part of the trick in the picture.



















 Al


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## Mavors (Mar 30, 2007)

Nice setup Al.

Mav


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## ChristopherReed (Jan 21, 2011)

Nice Al, finally somebody else that doesnt agree with 2&2 or 3&3 or whatever... (thats pretty rare!)


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## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

Al, I'm assuming the 'trick' is stuffing the entrance with grass that they then have to move out of the way? Kindof a heads' up for the bees that things aren't the same?


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I like to close the bees up in the hive in the late evening after they have stopped flying. In midsummer this can be tough to do with so many at the entrance fanning. I have found how ever that I can slowly push a lot of them back into the hive with the entrance closer. Any still left out side will hang around the entrance looking for a way back in even when you aremoving them if you go slowly with out to much shaking.
*
Do not shine a flash lite on the entrance, they will come storming out.*

Once I have them closed up I go away till early morning just after day break to use ratchet straps to fasten the two hive bodies together. From there it is the hive carrier if just moving them a short distance or up into the pick up for a move to an out yard.

Once I have them where I want them I gather grass or a bit of tree branch to placve in and around the entrance. Pull the entrance closer and stuff the grass in or place the branch in front of the entrance.

You can tell they know they have been moved as they work their way thru the grass then start flying in small circles in front of the hive. those circles will keep getting bigger and bigger as will the group flying in front of the hive.

 Al


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