🔵Paint your Hives so they Don't ROT! - Mistakes you should avoid

Paint your bee gear to last! Also what to watch out for!
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[@kamonreynolds]

Hey all, this is the paint used in the video. www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/products/duration-exterior-acrylic-latex It sometimes can take a bit for the edges to stop sticking together so paint your equipment long before you need it

[@CAW78]

Great video. I also recommend using a "glue wash" to the end grain prior to painting. Dilute some wood glue with water and brush a liberal amount into the end grain to fully seal it. Let it dry and apply your paint like normal. Your corners will stop rotting.

[@umustbbornagainActs2-38]

Interesting! Thanks for putting this comment here. It helps us new guys!

[@markwelsch940]

A trick to seal the end coat with the glue, before painting. Will make it last longer. After assembling, put a nice layer of glue up and down the corners on the outside. That will help seal it from moisture.

[@jeffreykellum]

another trick is to paint the end grain with tightbond 2 or 3 then paint after its dried. it works wonderfully.

[@paulchristu996]

I do the same. Titebond 2 is “water resistant”, 3 is “waterproof”, the label says. Other tricks: dab all the endgrain areas with primer, let dry, repeat, dry, then whole box with primer, followed by latex; or, if you have a lot of time, linseed oil on endgrain, rub in well and let dry in the garage for a couple weeks, then prime and paint.

[@barbarastephenson6222]

I didn’t know to paint the top and bottom wall thickness edge! I have several to put together this spring and will do that for sure! Thanks!

[@TheUCFM]

Kamon, I cannot begin to say how much I enjoy your videos. Your ability to teach is extremely good. You go In depth in a very understandable way. Looking forward to your wax dipping and later queen rearing. One of the things that interest me on queen rearing, is the selection criteria used for breeder queens, and if you do anything regarding drones. Sorry I know I'm off topic but had to get it out before I forgot.

[@paulawaldrep3760]

Hope you can put your WHOLE family in front of the camera to say "HAPPY NEW YEAR" would love to see how kids have grown too! :) as always thanks for the paint tip!

[@sporkintheeye]

I really like to smear caulk on the end grain and nail/staple holes before painting. Also for if the finger joints are a little bit loose.

[@Dstick1Spearfishing]

Thanks for the info, I just use a good brush to save the paint instead of a thirsty roller FWIW. I also store the wet brush in a plastic bag inbetwwen coats so I don't have to wash out the brush until everything is done, works a treat!

[@umustbbornagainActs2-38]

Will going from white boxes to a natural finish confuse my bees?

[@Dstick1Spearfishing]

@@umustbbornagainActs2-38 Not if the box is in the same location, you are not painting the inside!

[@lenturtle7954]

Its nice to go to a beeyard that is set up by someonr whotakes pride in their gear it looks so much more professional.

[@beebob1279]

My mentor was a pollinator in New Jersey. He always painted the inside of the boxes. Even though the bees propolize the inside and make it waterproof, his reasoning (My father who was in construction agreed) was that with house siding you always prime all the sides then put it up and paint it. Why? Because the moisture pushing from behind blows the paint off the wood. If you primer all the sides, the paint doesn't tend to blow off the outside.

[@bstein9500]

Just want to add, don't just paint with a primer/undercoat. It is designed to penetrate and then absorb moisture. Always prime and follow with paint.

[@eddiepetski7]

I'm in the centerville Hohenwald area I am new to beekeeping getting started again hopefully successful this time

[@rogersshop]

I always check the "mis-tint" section when I'm at a store that sells paint. I have picked up very high quality "mistakes" for as little as a dollar a gallon.

[@Noahsoak]

And pretty colors I bet -)

[@Noahsoak]

No apologies needed. :) Thnx for another great video! I have tbhs and just got my first lang hive box today. All new to me assembly and painting. Thnx again! Oh, southeast Alabamian here, I knew what fixin' meant. Lol

[@beebob1279]

Primer the corners before putting the boxes together. Then paint the box. It helps to seal in the end grain. My mentor also painted the insides of the box. Many beekeepers won't do this because the bees propolzize the inside to seal it. I've done it both ways and painting the inside of the box allows the box to keep longer. I've got boxes painted inside and out that are twenty years old and just starting to go. Boxes only painted on the inside only last seven or eight years. I'm looking forward to your wax dipping video.

[@2of238]

What is primer?

[@beebob1279]

@@2of238 Primer is a paint you use before putting on the final coat of paint. A lot of todays paints are both a primer and a final paint. You need to read the can to make sure you know what you're getting.

[@nannygranny9534]

I was so waiting for the cat to land on the box. I used spray paint on my boxes this year and in less than 6 months the edges were already bare and turning black.

[@rodbeckstedt8588]

You've done well answering any questions I've asked. Don't beat yourself up man. You two are doing awesome. Have a Happy New Year.

[@richardkuhn8115]

A regular old Leonardo da Vinci! Thanks for sharing your painting skills and wisdom with us, Kamon.

[@donbearden1953]

Thanks Kamon! I’ve never painted the edges where they stack and the frame rest areas and that’s what I’m going to do with my supers and extra brood boxes before spring. I would never paint the inside walls although some folks do. I wish I knew someone locally that could dip them in wax.

[@billhendon1968]

Thanks and happy holidays. Your tips are great for me in SW VA.

[@Akron12001]

As Always, thank you for the consistent high quality information you provide. Question: Could you give some guidance on the sadder subject of dead outs. I recently lost a hive (my first loss) probably to condensation. It was full of honey and soggy dead bees. Not being sure what to do I emptied the bees onto the compost pile and threw the rest in the freezer. What I'd like to know is; Is the honey still ok for other hives? For consumption? How long can a dead hive sit (in the winter) before I'm afraid of something growing in there (disease, bacteria etc.). Could the bees on the compost pile spread disease to other hives, should I have disposed of them differently? Are the comb, honey filled frames, boxes safe to simply fill with another colony come spring? Should I break the setup up and give it in small quantities to other hives for cleanup rather than dump the whole mess on one colony? Many Thanks for the quality information from a neighbor to your North in Ohio. Dave

[@OklahomaBeekeeper]

I paint the top and bottom of all my boxes too. To keep them from sticking I use parchment paper between my boxes and stack them in my shed in the winter and then in the spring I pull them out and put the two sheets of parchment paper in a box until I need it again

[@kamonreynolds]

Nice Malcom thanks for sharing

[@garrypatten732]

I found using a smaller 100mm ( 4" ) roller was easier. I always paint inside the box about 1" down from the top and bottom. Love your videos, keep them coming.

[@DavidODuvall]

Habitat for Humanity can be a good source of inexpensive paint. Some cities give away their unused paint. This year I bought a BBQ grill brush w/ scraper for $1.00 on sale from Dollar General and used it to brush older boxes, then painted with 2 coats of free excellent quality paint from the City of Columbia, Missouri. I only have a couple of hundred boxes left to go....then, it's time to put together more frames (have to have the boxes done to store the frames in for Spring).

[@lenturtle7954]

I used to use high end CIL oli base paint i'd buy a bright yellow or red etc and use ahalf of it and add a half gal of white use 1/2 gal of it add another 1/2 gal uf white and end up with 3 nice different colors and white . It lasted for years . And looked great . Now high end alkyd or latex would stand up to the abuse . In canasa we.have sarcan and restore which are good places to get recycled paint or paint hat has been donated by big box stores for a very reasonable price

[@beemandjl]

A professional house painter advised me when I painted the outside trim on my new house. The paint lasted 15 years before I had to touch it up. The wood was still strong. He told me to paint the outside of the wood with Thompsons Waterproofing and wait a week and reapply another coat wait a week and put the cover coat of oil base paint. He said most paint applications fail from underneath with moisture causing the paint to peak or crack with age. I have had tremendous success doing it this way. A little more trouble but it pays off in the long run.

[@Vladviking]

I've done a coat of Thompsons, a coat of Kilz Stainblocker and a Rustoleum oil base gloss, always smudging in the box joints well. It should work it's stuff that would've just dried up on the shelf if I didn't use it.

[@beemandjl]

@@Vladviking Kilz is a stain hiding primer. It will not offer any moisture barrier properties. The Thompsons or some other Waterproofing sealer has extended any exterior wood that was painted.

[@Vladviking]

@@beemandjl In any event it worked well as a primer for the final coat.

[@davidross6586]

Did the same except got 3 gallons of outdoor water base deck paint from Lowes for $5 each. Put 3 coats on and it lasts forever.

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Fiddlesticks!! lol Yeah, dob up those corners and two coats. I go ahead and buy white because I'm OCD about having hives different colors. lol I know the bees get lost in the wrong hive, but that's their problem. Thanks for the video.

[@markschoenhals185]

Awesome want to know more about the dipping boxes. I have watched a couple other guys videos and they take them somewhere to have that done. Where I live nobody does bees within 50 miles of me or more.

[@SmallTNHomestead]

Thanks for the information, much appreciated. Happy New year!

[@kamonreynolds]

Thanks Mary! Happy New year to you!

[@edwardclark2695]

Paint the grooves then put together & nail. Try roof coating (white) 80 bks 5 gal. I 've used it for yrs

[@mikeries8549]

I started with a lot of old worn out equipment I was given. As I go year by year I build boxes with rabbeted corners. It's fast and they work. Paint isn't that big an issue but I kilz2 them and then coat with Sherwin Williams duration. It is not cheap. Sanding my boxes before I prime and,again after priming makes the paint stay stuck good. Quality preparation and quality paint is how you get quality finish that last.

[@dustinwiggins3686]

Next time you do one of these videos You need to get a paint board and put on a fro and call it painting a bee hive Bob Ross edition… good job on the video!

[@kevinjackson1840]

kamon nice winter day. 60 degrees here in California.

[@robertlewis3336]

I shellac the joints & all end grain before painting. Does it help? I have no idea but it's what I do

[@kamonreynolds]

It does help for sure!

[@jamierasnake2842]

Happy new year

[@henryparrott2447]

Great job Mr Reynolds 👏

[@clifftonwhitaker8]

So rolling edges are good but rolling queens are bad, gotcha. Thank you, I’ve ordered wax dipped hive boxes from Amazon. I kinda prefer the wood look over painted boxes. Maybe if I lived in the country I’d get hives I can paint, maybe get artsy fartsy with

[@panzer6522]

Thank you for sharing. Great information

[@mitchellcampbell3521]

Great video

[@tillerbeez6575]

Seems that finger box joints are more of a pain to paint than say rabbit or bevel joints? Is there a big trade off in strength or durability? I will be experimenting with using clear polyurethane on both deeps and supers. All have finger joints. I plan on using different joint types as well as exterior coatings as my colonies expand.

[@beekeeper8474]

I use home Depot Barn paint. I built a chicken coop at a particle board and covered it with it and it's lasted so far for 5 years and looks like the day I made it

[@Makermook]

I've been using tung oil on my boxes. I make sure to flood the end grain and edges.

[@trichard5106]

Thanks !!

[@52archery]

I rotate my hives bodies every spring by placing all the frames from the top boxes into a freshly painted box and place on freshly painted bottom board. Then I stack the bottom box on the top. This way my hive bodies get a fresh painting every other year.

[@mattwettig8023]

Love your videos. I am just getting into beekeeping. I will get my first bees in 2020. I live in Southern Illinois so we are not that far apart. I am building my own equipment and I am painting stuff now. Your video came at the right time. LOL. Thanks.

[@framcesmoore]

Have a video on how u take care of your hives doing the nector flow. Example do u just set 5-6 suppers on your hives and walk away do u check them and rotate them I can find nothing on any of this the videos u do are wonderful thanks and thanks for answering this as well have a Happy New Year

[@kamonreynolds]

Hi frances. I check them periodically and I also prep them for the flow. I will definitely be covering that this year. Happy New Year!

[@adamfredrickson7908]

When I paint the edges the boxes glue together.

[@mikerosol3499]

Freddy_002 I have been advised to keep the edges raw for that exact reason. In Colorado, moisture is not an issue.

[@Beetek0903]

After painting, I use "spacers" (off cuts of timber) between the painted supers so that they do NOT stick together - even though the paint is dry, it has not hardened

[@OklahomaBeekeeper]

I use parchment paper between my boxes and stack them in my shed in the winter and then in the spring I pull them out and put the two sheets of parchment paper in a box until I need it again

[@hcaveman6954]

I place supers though/ over a 2x4, or 2x6 horizontally so the inside of super is resting on the support when painting & drying. The other suggestions listed are good also👍. It is best to paint or some how protect the edges of your woodwares, if you don't, you will be replacing them a lot sooner.🤔🙂

[@hcaveman6954]

@@mikerosol3499 just a FYI to everyone, there are so many variables in/with beekeeping! This is one of many, if your hives are in a area that get high amounts of rain / snow protect the super edges(3/4"sides). If in a dry area, you might be able to get by without painting them at all.🤔🙂

[@Noahsoak]

Great video!

[@kamonreynolds]

Thanks!

[@moorrona17]

Thanks

[@RaySarasin]

Not far away from painting my new 8 hives

[@bradgoliphant]

Hey Kamon, I'm going to stain my hive and have two supers and both are deeps. is one quart enough?

[@cjs4300]

Will changing a hives color confuse the foragers when they return from foraging?

[@kamonreynolds]

Not really. Location and smell is what is important

[@jAxRacingLofts]

Hey I've been long time fan...I'm new to bee keeping and I'm curious if your going to be selling your packages or nucs of your docile bee genetics in the Spring?

[@kamonreynolds]

Sure thing should have that informaton available Jan 1st will be announcing it here

[@jAxRacingLofts]

@@kamonreynolds So as I'm researching to get as much information as possible.. I discovered cutting edge science that may save the Honey Bee. Paul Stamets has been researching the medical value of Mushroom's and the synergy of Honey Bees. He discovered Hives given pure sugar (the staple of bee keepers everywhere) have higher mite and viruses... Versus Hives that have access to Mushroom mycellium. The Mushroom boost the immune system of bees. Check it out because this is cutting edge science that not only works for bees but also is boosting immune systems (Turkey Tail Mushrooms) fighting Cancer. Imagine if bee colonies had access to multiple varieties of wild Mushrooms like nature intended...the POTENCY and Health benefits of the Honey be off the chain. Plus no more every 10 day mite treatment's because the food of the bees no longer simple sugar... I'll let you watch it...first half shows the solid science of human benefit then takes a "Hard Left" and describes Honey Bee benefit. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZLKfGOkoM6NpqM

[@kyleeats5331]

You can put a wood finish on the boxes

[@vondykstra]

Is boiled linseed oil ok for beehives?

[@kamonreynolds]

Yes

[@fergieferguson2457]

I just don’t understand why everyone thinks you got to build your boxes with finger joints!yea I started out building mine with finger joints and yea I can do it got the right equipment to do it,but Me quicker to but joint with glue and screws sand the edges paint and have lasted for years and I’ve thrown down no problems I’m pretty abusive on my equipment and no problems,and I’m not worried about looks just stay together,and yea a good paint I agree with...

[@buildingwithtrees2258]

At my local ACE, I try to treat the paint man well. Know his name, say hi, chat a little bit. I can get $80-$100 oops paint for a couple bucks and the cheaper stuff for free...despite $20-$10 price tag.

[@massachusettsprepper]

I currently paint all of my boxes but I do want to check into the wax dip method. How is that in comparison to painting pricewise? Thanks for sharing.

[@kamonreynolds]

Very competitive once you buy all the hardware BUT that can be pricey!! You have to buy the tank and then fill it with wax. It's a little hard to justify unless you are doing hundreds of boxes. However, we beekeepers are great at finding excuses :)

[@massachusettsprepper]

@@kamonreynolds that's good to know because we are steadily growing our operation. Thanks for the information.

[@aprilbatley9265]

How long does it take on average from day of painting to putting the hive body in ur hive ???

[@kamonreynolds]

A day or 2

[@got2kittys]

I used to think, No. But my friend painted everything, inside and out. The only difference was, his boxes and gear lasted longer. And bees plaster everything, wooden plastic, metal, or painted, with propolis. They paint propolis on all of the inside, even on your nice paint.

[@robertward5595]

Kamon what do you use for mites in your bee box's.

[@joecalvert8146]

Thanks for the info on how to get good paint for cheap! I'm in the process of building some new equipment before spring. I've heard you mention that you have customers that buy your honey and bees but I haven't found how to do that. I want to expand and would love to get a couple of nucs from you!

[@wadebarnes6720]

Did you ever think you would grow as fast as you did

[@jonhatchcirclejfarms1628]

What color do you think is best for painting your boxes.

[@tedjackson5272]

Will you be doing a video on the pallets/hive stands you make? would like to see more on that subject.

[@buildingwithtrees2258]

He has one, from much earlier.

[@HivesToHome]

How do you stack the boxes to dry with the edges painted? Don’t they stick together until the paint is thoroughly dried?

[@kamonreynolds]

They will. have to put toothpicks or something in between boxes or not stack them for a couple of weeks

[@ronaldlassiter4610]

How do you clean up the used frames ?

[@jasonadams3781]

As others have said painting the edges makes them stick together worse than propolis. Lol. I still do it though.

[@paulchristu996]

Without painting, water sits in those cracks and edges start to rot much quicker. I let painted boxes, shims, etc sit indoors, in the garage with a spaceheater for a month or more, get the paint REAL dry before it goes outdoors. In a pinch, a few days in the guest bathroom with the heater running (or a dehumidifier if you have it. Lastly, smear a coat of Vaseline on all the contact edges between boxes every spring, and when adding supers; helps a lot with the propolis sticking.

[@jarnold8803]

What is your opinion on boiled linseed on bee boxes?

[@kamonreynolds]

Hey J Arnold. Great Question. I have no experience and I don't personally know anyone who has tried it. So I have nothing to say about it other than we need to try some out! Perhaps I can try that this winter.

[@OkieRob]

It will not hold up to the weather. Save your money and time. I had to go back and paint all of mine.

[@wahahaha2017]

so, is it a latex paint or oil paint?

[@kamonreynolds]

It is latex

[@wahahaha2017]

Thank you. 🙏

[@tonyroberts9009]

Grate stuff guys, Hea Kamon what county are you in? I'm over in Mcminn .

[@kamonreynolds]

Jackson county Neighbor

[@copperjessy]

who won the smoker Kamon?

[@kamonreynolds]

A fellow out of Nebraska.

[@wrfarms9741]

Did you give up on wax dipping? We have been using the marked down Lowes paint for years to save some money but the toughest paint we have ever used is www.lowes.com/pd/Valspar-Utility-Gray-Gloss-Interior-Exterior-Porch-and-Floor-Paint-Actual-Net-Contents-128-0-fl-oz/3343608 We have used it to paint workshop floors & steel I beams on a bridge we had rebuilt. Dries to a really hard, shiny finish that bonds like super glue. On a sad note, one of our cats like your photo bomb cat was run over by a car last week. 😥

[@kamonreynolds]

Hey WR hope your bees are liking this spring weather haha! No, I'm not giving up on the wax dipping. just talking about painting for those who can't justify a dipping setup.

[@royhubbard2322]

Have you ever tried ECO-SAFE Wood Treatment at TallEarth.com? I tried it last year, easy to use. Mix it in a plastic container and dip you boxes. Boxes look great after first year..

[@wayneparker9782]

Cat....hahahahaha

[@HornadySetiawan]

You got paint on your jacket! Better wear an old shirt.

[@danamiller1310]

You got me at fiddle sticks 🪝

[@stephenkelly2365]

Great video