# sealing the hive bodies



## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

Do a search on this site for rosin or rosin/wax impregnating boxes, there are a number of threads.

The largest drawback to doing this is the fact that it is VERY expensive unless you have dozens or hundreds of boxes to do. They must be completely submerged, which means in reality a 15 gallon kettle or something like that, and 15 gallons of rosin/wax ain't anywhere near free. You will have plenty left over even if you do one side at a time by rotating the boxes in a shallower pool of molten wax/rosin.

I have no doubt that the treatment works well, but most of us find paint vastly cheaper and easier, and I KNOW properly painted boxes will last decades -- my brother has two hives he's had for 7 years now, and we are thinking we might re-paint this year, before the paint starts to peel. The wooden siding on our house is as old as I am, and has been not so well taken care of over the last 56 years, and it's still in great shape in spite of peeling paint occasionally. 

Peter


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## Tom Brueggen (Aug 10, 2011)

I just picked up a gallon of LATEX exterior paint last night at Lowes. It has a 15 year warranty and is rated for both extreme climates and cold application down to something like 35 degrees F. There was another premium paint available boasting a lifetime warranty, but it was twice the price.


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## BeekeepingIsGood (Aug 12, 2012)

The biggest problem I see with latex paint is that is doesn't breath very well. A good amount of humidity is produced by the bees in the hive, and perhaps it's also our humid area and wet winters playing a factor, but paint starts to peel within a few seasons. Wax dips also seem like a good deal of work, so my current interest is in paying a little extra for cedar hive bodies and bypassing any painting/waxing.


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## Goldprospector (May 17, 2012)

My house was built in 1840...I just restored the whole thing and there were not any rotting boards on the outside of the house. It is made of pine and I can assure you that it was not painted every ten years...So I'll stick with paint.


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## Tom Brueggen (Aug 10, 2011)

Beekeeping.IsGood.ca said:


> The biggest problem I see with latex paint is that is doesn't breath very well. A good amount of humidity is produced by the bees in the hive, and perhaps it's also our humid area and wet winters playing a factor, but paint starts to peel within a few seasons. Wax dips also seem like a good deal of work, so my current interest is in paying a little extra for cedar hive bodies and bypassing any painting/waxing.


Are you saying the humidity from inside the hive makes the paint peel outside? I'm confused. The bees coat the inside of the hive with propolis, which I don't believe to be very conductive of moisture. I'd imagine the boards stay dry all the way through. The best treatment for moisture is good ventilation.

If the paint is peeling that quickly, you might want to consider a better paint. Also, make sure the wood is good and dry when painted, and you may need a primer as well. 

I am also a fan of cedar construction. My TBH's are all cedar, but that's because I have a pile in my garage, and TBH's don't really need too much detail in construction. I order my Lang's pre-cut, and assemble myself (worth the savings in labor). To save a couple bucks I order them unpainted. This also gives me the freedom to paint them all sorts of silly colors when I get them.


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## bees4lifeapiary (Jun 29, 2012)

ok, well I really didnt ask about ideas of using paint .I am looking for people that allready seal their hives with wax.I understand some of you see wood on houses and hives that are doing great,but I have also see plenty of wood thats painted and rotting.The use of wax actually impregnates the wood with wax,so its not sealed on the outside surface,its actually in the cells/grain of the wood.


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## Tom Brueggen (Aug 10, 2011)

Agree, we hijacked the thread. All apologies. 
On your original topic, I have read of folks mixing up beeswax and oiled linseed oil, then brushing it on as a waterproofing product. Not sure how that will work for impregnating the wax in the wood grain. I'd never heard of what you described. 
Just thinking here, could you heat the wax in a shallow baking sheet in the oven? Then you could just lay in each piece of hive body and let it soak. Pull it back out and let it cool, replacing with another piece. Would that work the same as you proposed, or does it have to be submerged?


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Ok... hear me out bees. This may sound a bit wierd.
I use a beeswax based sealant for my hunting boots. The way I apply it is to pre heat my boots in the oven at the lowest setting, keeping a VERY close eye on the boots (for obvious reasons). I then apply the sealant with a sealent soaked cloth. The boots actually suck the sealant into the pores before my eyes.
Maybe, just maybe this may be an option.

Tom,
From my experience, the bees do not coat the entire interior of the super. So in turn it is entirely possible for moisture inside to escape a poorly ventilated hive towards the outside and "pop" the paint off. This will surely make paint peel. That combined with improper painting methods such as no primer coat will result in peeling paint rather quickly.


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## tommyt (Aug 7, 2010)

*bees4lifeapiary *

Yes it is done M Bush has spoke about it and many others 
there is a guy at Tampabay beekeepers that does it for a fee 
I believe he only takes large numbers ( I can be wrong) 
I have considered it but its big start up (cost)
Not to derail but there is a Bee Club that meets in Hudson if your interested 
PM me and I'll let you know about it, and the Pinelass one 
Tampa has a web and facebook page if you want to check them out


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

What is the weight gain for boiling boxes in wax?


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## mmmooretx (Jun 4, 2012)

Here is a video of a guy that does it, check out how many hives he has waiting for dipping, on YouTube. He talks about a blend of microcrystaline wax instead of paraffin. I have two of the Country Rubes bases that use paraffin, but have only had a couple of months, no issues yet. However it does get quite hot here and I did see some paraffin that melted onto my stand. I am very pleased with there quality and service, very nice couple running the company. They now sell completed/dipped hive bodies. But be aware that they cannot be shipped un-assembled so shipping charges will apply to completed units. Once dipped in wax they cannot be glued or painted. They should be serviceable for many years. 5 frame NUCs should be available early next year if their plans go well. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWHiHv3C4Vk


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

mmmooretx said:


> Once dipped in wax they cannot be glued or painted.


If it is a box joint I don't see why they have to be glued to begin with. Someone should try dipping individual boards first and then assemble the hive bodies. I believe the wax/rosin will actually act like a glue when the joints are forced together. When I was younger we called box nails rosin nails because of the coating on the nail. When you drive the nail the coating melts and instantly solidifies when they are all the way in. Pulling them out was nearly impossible.


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

I've been thinking of doing this but having a resevoir built with partitioned sides to reduce the volume of wax needed to be heated or maybe like Ace mentioned of trying to do it unassembled. You could probably paint a coat on but the whole point is to displace any water in the wood with wax but I don't see why you couldn't try brushing some on and using a heat gun to get some penetrating inside. I don't think I've ever seen a vid on doing it unassembled though, so there must be a catch or some issue possibly. I would wonder if the individual boards might warp or something when putting them in.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

I think if the grain was such that it would cause bad warping pre-assembling would only cause the box to twist such that it wouldn't set flat unless you had a press to hold it straight until the wax solidified. If you are going to use a press you could do the same thing with individual pieces.


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## ralittlefield (Apr 25, 2011)

Deleted.


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