# Painting Hive Bodies



## GA-BEE (Jan 20, 2004)

Has anyone used KILZ as a primer on your hive bodies before painting them?
I will be using oil based paint and was wondering if I could use Kilz as a primer. My wife will be using stencils to paint decorations on them like vines, bees, other plant pictures. I think this will help the bees to distinguish thier home hive.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Has anyone used KILZ as a primer on your hive bodies before painting them?
I will be using oil based paint and was wondering if I could use Kilz as a primer. My wife will be using stencils to paint decorations on them like vines, bees, other plant pictures. I think this will help the bees to distinguish thier home hive.

I have not, but I'm sure any kind of paint that is exterior paint and used on the outside will work fine.

I think the bees will find them anyway, but if you like to decorate it won't hurt the bees feelings any.


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## mark williams (Jan 19, 2003)

I was under the impression that KILZ was for water base paint,but I don't think that it would hurt anything.When I use oil base paint I don't prime with anything.>>>>Mark


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## Scot Mc Pherson (Oct 12, 2001)

Kilz is an alkid (oil based) primer that is suitable for both oil and latex based covers.

Most alkid primers need to be covered with oils (alkids), kilz can be covered with either.

------------------
Scot Mc Pherson
"Linux is a Journey, not a Guided Tour" ~ Me
"Do or not do, there is no try" ~ Master Yoda
BeeSourceFAQ: http://linuxfromscratch.org/~scot/beewiki/


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Sometimes I don't even paint them.







But when I do it's just one coat of exterior paint and no primer.

It's not the White House.


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## GA-BEE (Jan 20, 2004)

I agree MB about it not being the White House, however, 'an ounce of prevention...'
I'm going for longetivity and durability while the wife is following her 'motherly?' inclinations.


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## Hillbillynursery (Nov 13, 2003)

Kilz comes in oil and latex. I have used alot of the latex for blocking stains bleeding thru. It has a mold killing agent in it. I have no idea this would effect the bees.


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## BerkeyDavid (Jan 29, 2004)

First a question: Do you paint the inside of the hive too? Or just the outside? 
I have used Kilz in repainting inside my cottage to kill mold. It works well as a primer to cover up problem spots that bleed through other paint. It would keep sap from seeping through if you are very concerned about looks. But probably cheaper to use something else.


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## Clayton (Dec 8, 2000)

I just paint the outside.


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## mattoleriver (Sep 20, 2003)

I'm about ready to paint some woodenware and was thinking of stacking it and spraying the whole stack at one time. I would stack supers, inner covers, Imirie shims, top feeders, etc., all in one stack. The problem with this approach is that the pieces will all be stuck together by the paint. Can anybody suggest a simple way to stack the pieces for painting and be able to separate them afterward? I could wax the edges but I don't think that would do it for me. Shims between layers, maybe?
George


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I do exactly that with a roller all the time. I just paint them and pry them apart with a hive tool. The paint doesn't stick it together any more than the propolise does.

If I were doing it "right" I would paint the edges of the boxes too, but I have seldom found the time.


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## Clayton (Dec 8, 2000)

Same as MB. I use a roller and use the hive tool to pry apart. A sprayer should work the same.

George you paint inner covers????

How many of you paint your inner covers?

I think I've painted only maybe 2 inner covers ever. I never thought it was neccesary as they really aren't exposed to the weather. Anyone here ever compare to see if the painting increases the useful life of them? I would consider painting them if it significantly increased there life span.


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## wishthecuttlefish (Jun 24, 2003)

I painted my boxes this weekend. I had some Kilz but decided against it and just went with the latex exterior for the following reasons:

1. Kilz is generally used as a cover for bad water stains which often "bleed" through just plain paint, or as a white coating for a dark color prior to painting on a light color. 

2. Kilz is also generally used as a primer over previous coats of gloss or satin paints. This provides a rough surface that the next layer can adhere to. It works better than just scuffing the wall. 

Plain wood boxes or boxes previously painted with flat type paint don't need it.

Kai


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## wishthecuttlefish (Jun 24, 2003)

One more thing. I've decided to trash the 5 brand new medium supers that I had coated with copper napthanate. After reading all the health warnings on the back of the container I decided better safe than sorry. It kind of pisses me off that I've wasted about $50.00, but I agree with M.B. - these are basically food containers and I'm not going to have the bees crawling all over them. 

It seems crazy to me that this stuff is recommended in numerous bee books. I myself got the recommendation from a video by Dr. Keith Delaplane. I wonder if anyone has ever tested wax and honey for residues of this stuff in them. 

Even the paint kind of gives me pause, but at least it's just on the outside of the boxes. 

Kai


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Why not use the napthelate coated ones as a hive stand. Just set them on the ground and put your hive on top of that. If you have a SBB the debris will fall through to this area and there will be some ventilation with no draft. It could also put your entrance up where the mice can't easily get in. You could also use them for extra boxes on top when putting on feeders ect. since the bees won't be living in them. Or use them for a vent box by drilling some holes in the side, covering with #8 hardware cloth and cover the hole in the inner cover with #8 hardware cloth.

I can think of a lot of uses for them. But the hive stand is the most appealing since they are "treated" lumber.


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## wishthecuttlefish (Jun 24, 2003)

Those are good ideas. I think using them as covers for hive top feeders will work for me. Using them as stands might work well, too. 

Thanks, MB. Helpful as usual.


Kai


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

I can think of about a dozen uses for them too. However, if you need brood/supers, just paint them inside and out and use them. Once they are sealed up with paint, I believe that your concerns are 'covered'.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Maybe we finally found a use for Kilz on bee boxes. Put a layer of Kilz on and it probably will keep the stuff from bleeding through.


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## wishthecuttlefish (Jun 24, 2003)

I thought of that too, but was worried about the latex being on the inside.

However, I just did some research on this. Apparently, latex paint is considered by the EPA to be of low toxicity unless consumed in large amounts. There are some exterior latex paints which must be labled "For exterior use only" because they contain mercury as a pesticide. I don't think the Kilz I have falls in that category. I'll check when I get home.

So I guess painting the inside of the boxes with latex Kilz will solve my problem. Hopefully it won't bug the bees. No pun intended. 


Thanks,
Kai


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## mattoleriver (Sep 20, 2003)

>George you paint inner covers????

>How many of you paint your inner covers?

Clayton,
this is all new equipment and has not been treated in any way, so far. I will be stacking the equipment and painting it all at once so it would be no more trouble to include the inner covers than it would be to omit them from the stack. Only the outside face of any stackable piece will be painted. Is there a reason not to paint the outside of an inner cover?
Thanks
George


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Is there a reason not to paint the outside of an inner cover?

Yes. It's less work!


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

>How many of you paint your inner covers?

When I first started making equipment I painted everyting inside and out. It wasn't until a discussion here that I realized that the wood was an intricate part of the bee ecology. Just as the bee tree absorbs the excess moisture and gives it back to the bees, the wood in our immitation hives needs to breath as well.

I do see two exceptions to painting the interior. The bottom boards need to be protected from the run off of excess moisture that collects on the ceiling of the hive and runs down, and from the rain that blows in the entrance.

The other is the inside of the top cover. I use miller feeders, the condensation from the syrup is very high and the tops are constantly wet. If it were not for the use of the miller feeders, I would not paint the inside of the tops.


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## Clayton (Dec 8, 2000)

Is there a reason not to paint the outside of an inner cover?

reply:

Not really a good one other than you don't have too and I'm getting lazier after all these years


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## Hillbillynursery (Nov 13, 2003)

As much time as my inner cover saw being under a feeding jar I wish I had painted the outer edge. One thing about spaying instead of rolling or brushing, the paint will not soak into the wood as good. For exterior items it is best brushed along the grain of the wood. A roller gives a thicker coat and there for gives the paint more time to soak into the wood before it dries. Brushing takes to long. Spraying does not protect the wood as good. So I see rolling as the best way to paint hives.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Gee, and I just rolled it on because I was too cheap to buy a sprayer.


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