# Painting a hive with bees already in the hive



## DPBsbees (Apr 14, 2011)

Move them into a newly painted box and then re-paint the old one for another hive or time.


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

Yes what DPB said. This also gives you the opportunity to inspect the woodenware and clean off excess propilis, and wax


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## Agis Apiaries (Jul 22, 2014)

Always a good idea to have a spare hive anyhow. Get new boxes and paint them. The re-box the hive.


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## rwurster (Oct 30, 2010)

I just painted 12 hives with the bees in them with no problems.


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## JConnolly (Feb 21, 2015)

First coat or recoat?

If it is the first coat then is the wood still new? If so then it is probably OK. Do it in the evening after they are all in and not crawling on the outside. If the wood is old then it needs to be prepped or the paint won't stick and you'll be wasting time, effort, and paint.

If this is a recoat then is the paint in good shape and still new? If so then it is probably OK. If the paint is old, then loose paint needs to be scraped and the surface sanded or the new paint will not bond. In that case paint other wooden ware and transfer them into it.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

Latex paint no fumes. Dries quick.


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## rwurster (Oct 30, 2010)

I painted the new hives I made and had to press into service by putting bees into them. Hosed the hives, primed, painted, painted what was exposed on the bottom boards then ended up giving the remaining hives a new coat of paint also (latex). No problems


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## rolftonbees (Jul 10, 2014)

Get a couple of extra boxes. Paint them, move frames over to them, then rework the old ones. You will always need more boxes. More boxes......more.....more


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

Yeah it's always good to have extra boxes, but, in the off-chance that money does not grow on trees in your neck of the wood, just paint them with the bees in them. I painted all the hives in two bee yards one day when I didn't have much extra equipment built.

I used latex paint on a warm, sunny afternoon and painted it on lightly so it would not seal the crack between the boxes. Bees did not seem to mind.

Wayne


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## gnor (Jun 3, 2015)

I'm not painting the insides, but I do paint the edges of the boxes, so even if I'm re-painting, I will want to take them off so I can do the edges.


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