Hive Paint and Preservatives

Hive paints and preservatives are paints, varnishes and oil-based products that protect the outside of wooden or polystyrene beehives from sun, rain, damp and rot; chosen correctly and applied only to the outside, they extend the life of a hive many times over. The inside is never painted, wood preservatives containing insecticides and fungicides that are harmful to bees are not used, and a painted hive is not given to a colony until the smell has completely gone. On this page you will find how to choose a product and a colour, step-by-step painting and a maintenance schedule.

Why are beehives painted?

A wooden hive stands outdoors all year round: sun and heat in summer, rain, snow and frost in winter. Unprotected wood turns grey under the sun's ultraviolet light, cracks as it absorbs moisture and dries out, the corner joints open up and the bottom edges rot. Within a few years the body can become unusable.

• Against damp and rot: Paint reduces water absorption by the wood and fungal growth.
• Against the sun: Ultraviolet light breaks down wood fibres; paint acts as a shield.
• Heat balance: Light colours reduce overheating of the hive in the summer heat.
• Telling hives apart: Different colours and markings help bees find their own hive.
• Polystyrene hives: Polystyrene (poly) hives gradually degrade and turn powdery in sunlight; they need to be painted on the outside.

The basic rule: paint the outside only

The inside of the hive is not painted, and no preservative is applied to the inside surfaces. The bees coat the inside themselves with propolis; this is both a natural protection and a layer that benefits colony health. Paint or chemicals applied inside can pass into the wax and honey over time and can disturb the colony.

• Contact surfaces: The top and bottom edges of the bodies, where they sit on each other, are not painted or are painted only very thinly. Thick coats of paint stick together, the bodies have to be forced apart when the hive is opened, and the paint peels.
• Entrance and landing board: Their outer faces can be painted, but the passage the bees use to go in and the inner edges are left unpainted.
• Frames: Frames are never painted.

How do you choose hive paint and preservatives?

• Things to avoid: Old paints that may contain lead or heavy metals, strong-smelling preservatives such as tar and creosote, and wood treatment products whose labels list an insecticidal or fungicidal active ingredient.
• For polystyrene hives: Use only water-based, solvent-free paint. Solvent-based (thinner-based) paints dissolve polystyrene.
• Read the label: Products approved as “toy-safe” or for “food-contact surfaces” are generally a safer starting point.

How do you choose a hive colour?

The choice of colour affects both the temperature inside the hive and how well the bees find their way.

• Light colours (white, pale yellow, pale blue): They reflect sunlight; in hot regions and sun-exposed apiaries they reduce overheating of the hive.
• Dark colours: They absorb more heat from the sun; they offer limited benefit in cool climates but carry a risk of overheating in summer.
• Different colours and markings: Honey bees distinguish blue, yellow and white well, while they perceive red as a dark colour. Painting neighbouring hives in different colours or putting distinctive shapes around the entrance reduces bees going into the wrong hive (drifting).

With hives of the same colour set out in a long row, bees drift towards the hives at the ends of the row; the colonies at the ends grow stronger and those in the middle weaker. Drifting also makes it easier for disease and varroa to spread between colonies.

How do you paint a hive step by step?

1. Choose the time: Paint when the hive is empty, in the winter months or out of season, on a dry, mild day.
2. Prepare the surface: Lightly sand new wood. On used bodies, scrape off propolis, wax and loose old paint.
3. Check that it is dry: Paint applied to damp wood blisters and soon peels.
4. Pay attention to end grain: Places where the ends of the wood fibres are exposed, such as corner joints and the bottom edge, absorb the most water; paint these with extra care.
5. Apply thin coats: Two thin coats are more durable than one thick coat. Observe the drying time recommended by the manufacturer between coats.
6. Dry and air: Leave the painted bodies in an open, airy place until the smell has completely gone.

When should the paintwork be renewed?

A well-applied paint lasts several years; apiaries very exposed to sun and rain need more frequent renewal. At every spring and autumn check, look for:

• Blistering, flaking or cracking paint.
• Darkening, softening or signs of rot at corner joints and bottom edges.
• Whether water is getting in under the roof covering.

If you have to paint a hive with a colony in it, the safest way is to move the colony temporarily into another clean body whose paint has dried. If this is not possible, apply a very low-odour water-based paint to the outside only and keep away from the area around the entrance.

Traditional painted hives

In some parts of Europe, decorating the fronts of hives with patterns is a long-standing tradition. These decorations are not only attractive; they also help the bees and the beekeeper tell the hives apart. The same principle can be applied today with plain bands of colour and simple shapes.

Common mistakes when painting hives

• Painting the inside of the hive or the frames.
• Putting a colony in before the paint has dried and the smell has gone.
• Using a wood preservative containing insecticides or fungicides.
• Painting the contact surfaces of the bodies thickly, so that the boxes stick together.
• Using solvent-based paint on a polystyrene hive.
• Painting all hives the same colour and setting them out in a long, straight row.