How to protect new hive?
OK, I've got bees, but the hive's falling to pieces, so I'm going to treat them to a new one (and I expect some type of appreciation from them ...). How can I protect the hive, what sort of varnish should I use? I've got cuprinol, but have heard that it's not helpful to the bees. Any advice most welcome!
What is your new one made of? Proper Western Red Cedar and you could leave it untreated. On my cheaper Thornes wood hives I use linseed oil, rubbed over and left to soak in. Some use stronger preservative.
Thornes now sell a beehive paint which has natural oils and seems bee-friendly.
i make an emulsion of wax und turps, makes an excellent weather resistant outer coat. I use a heat gun to get it right into the wood.
or molten wax painted thinly straight on if in a rush to use it + heat gun. Propolis dissolves in alchohol or spititus for coating the inside so they feel right at home inside and out!
I use Cuprinol Shades on my wood hives, a water based, breathable, weather proofing and in a nice range of colours. It's not officially "safe for bees" so use at your own risk but I know a few people who've used it for a number of years and I'm now in my third year without any apparent ill effects.
As Gavin says, you don't need to treat Western Red Cedar and you definitely shouldn't use Varnish. Whatever you use, it should be breathable, treat the outside surfaces only and I'd leave them for a week or so before sticking bees in to make sure it's dried out properly.
If you use (Thornes) seconds kit especially it's worth painting everything before you start to put it together, their seconds kit tends not to fit together very well (i've got a couple of boxes I need to take a chisel to this year, ho hum, you get what you pay for etc etc).
I use Cuprinol Ducksback which appears to be insect friendly on plywood hives (having sealed edges with wood glue first).
I've had that recommended before but was told they'd stopped making it.Originally Posted by AlexJ
I might be wrong but I understood that Cuprinol were no longer officially describing any of their products as "insect/bee friendly" but that seemed more down to a legislation change (I think) than a change in fomula of the products themselves.
Still made as far as I'm aware - fair point EU legislation meant changes to the active ingredients in the paint; they haven't tested the new formulation on beehives and can't comment on it yet. That notwithstanding it keeps out the rain, bees don't turn their nose up at it and they appear healthy enough as always - DYOR Dovya
Excellent question and an excellent set of responses.
If you go the linseed oil route you will need to reapply every couple of years.
Peter Edwards, sometime poster here, treated all his boxes by immersion in a boiling tub of beeswax - a bit like frying chips he said. Not one for a couple of hives, or for anyone without industrial PPE.
I use a beeswax/linseed oil mix-5%. The first time I ever tried it, I didn't know what proportion to use, and ended up adding far too much wax. Had to melt it in with a blow torch, and even then there were large patches of wax that the bees worked months later.
Calum, I like your idea of propolis inside. I'll give it a try next time I treat.
I see that Ducksback contains waxes. Is there a risk that the bees may collect some of it and incorporate into comb - as Chris has noticed for very waxy mixes?
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