# Painting Inner Cover



## rg58612455 (Jun 15, 2015)

I had the same problem/issues with my equipment. I read somewhere to rub some beeswax on the painted surfaces that touch. This worked great for me .


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## GaryG74 (Apr 9, 2014)

I don't paint. Like LK said, protected from weather most of the time and heat from bees should help with any moisture issues. I have to scrape the inside of the top from time to time on a couple of my older hives to remove propolis but that's not a big issue. I don't think painting those surfaces is necessary.


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## Agis Apiaries (Jul 22, 2014)

"I recently watched a YouTube video..."

There are some great videos on YouTube. And there are just as many that are complete rubbish! There is no need to paint your inner cover.


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## Fusion_power (Jan 14, 2005)

Use high quality outdoor latex paint on bee equipment. Don't use primer/sealer, it traps moisture in the wood and eventually it will bubble the paint. I had to deal with this on some equipment I bought years ago and it was a pita stripping off all the bubbles and re-applying paint. There was a study done about 30 years ago comparing durability of equipment with and without primer, with oil vs latex, etc. The end result was that 2 or 3 coats of latex paint was most durable and protected the equipment longest.

Rims, corners, and edges of equipment need special attention. For years, I painted them and let them dry for 3 or 4 weeks before using. This was an acceptable way to protect them, but after a few years, moisture getting in the cracks between boxes causes the rim to decay. I got tired of doing repair work and started melting some beeswax in a small can and painting it onto the upper and lower rim and in the frame rest rabbets. I then use a propane torch to make the wax soak into the wood. The result is a durable upper and lower rim that has lasted several years with no upkeep required.

One tip I found on Dave-Cushman is to use petroleum jelly on the surfaces that touch and in the rabbets. I haven't tried this yet, but it is supposed to make propolis removal easy. I'm going to give it a try this year.

I don't paint interior hive surfaces. It causes moisture condensation in winter which can kill a cluster. The bane of beekeeping in the SouthEast is high humidity during winter which makes condensation much more of a problem. I ensure good ventilation with a slot in the cover which lets moisture vent out of the hive.


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## LKBruns (Jul 12, 2014)

Thanks for the help!!!


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## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

The bees paint the inside of the hive with propolis and wax, making it waterproof. You don't need to add paint. I think that leaving the wood unpainted on inner and outer covers (on the inside, that is, of the outer cover) allows the wood to absorb moisture.

I am of the firm belief that linseed oil allowed to set for a couple days, alkyd primer, and then two or more coats of exterior latex is the correct way to paint boxes -- everything else I've tried results in the latex paint simply peeling off the wood in a couple years. Getting good adhesion of paint to bare wood is a well researched subject, and I'd follow the advice of the manufacturers, which is NOT exterior latex on un-primed wood. 

Remember, the bees waterproof the inside of the hive in a year or two just like they coat the frames with propolis and wax. They also require the water that condenses on the comb and frames. What kills them is cold water dripping on them from above the cluster, which is why unpainted wood overhead is better than painted, and a good quilt box is better than bare wood.

In a natural hive they will cluster at the top of the comb, which is attached to a solid roof in most cases -- the most highly "desired" hive is in a hollow tree. No condensation there, as it's always warm. Wood is a decent insulator, particularly when it's six or so inches thick on the sides and many feet on the top. The bees will coat the cavity with a quarter inch or so of propolis and water usually collects in the bottom and stays there. 

Peter


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## Fusion_power (Jan 14, 2005)

> which is NOT exterior latex on un-primed wood.


The problem is that manufacturers were not certifying paint for durability on bee hives. I have specifically seen and had to deal with moisture from inside the hive causing primed and painted wood to bubble - and I don't mean a little, I mean 80 to 90 percent of the paint was bubbled up from the wood. Fortunately, we all get to choose what we do. You get to use oil, primer, and paint. I get to use just paint if I choose. I tend to renew paint on my hives after about 10 years. By that time, it is looking pretty run down. A new coat of paint and they are good for another 10 years. 

I am planning on wax dipping and painting the equipment I build this year in hopes of getting 30+ years of service. I'm sure the paint will have to be renewed at least once, but wax dipping should keep the wood in good condition.


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## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

Wax/rosin dipping is the way to go if you can, it's not really possible if you only have a few hives unless you can find someone doing a large number that will allow you to run a couple through.

I've tried a number of things for paint, and you are correct, plain latex will work fairly well. The main problem is that commercially processed pine is somewhat burnished, and no paint will stick all that well to a surface that will swell up when it gets damp. Latex is more water permiable that alkyd paints, but the real key is to get the paint to actually adhere to the wood. 

That is why I've been using either shellac as a primer or linseed oil -- both penetrate into the wood pores and harden, so they form a film inside the outer surface of the wood. Alkyd primer is mostly fast drying linseed oil in solvent, but it polymerizes too fast to penetrate well. A coating of "boiled" linseed oil will penetrate into the wood pores and will eventually polymerize with the alkyd primer on top of it. I don't think that film will peel off.

Latex primer, plain latex, or alkyd primer followed by latex have all peeled off for me, showing that they were NOT properly adhered to the wood.

I may be wrong, but so far (three years into this project) neither shellac primed nor linseed oil/alkyd primer/latex exterior have peeled on me. Everything else did.

Another thing to consider is that oily fingerprints will prevent latex paint from adhering to wood, so if you handle it a lot or have "greasy" hands like I do, you will have peeling problems.

However, if you are getting 10 years out of your paining program, I'd say what you are doing is about as good as it gets. 

Peter


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Don't paint box edges with paint, use glue. It protects great and does not stick.


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