Beeswax waterproofing

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steve_e

House Bee
Joined
Jan 19, 2010
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Location
East Sussex
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
3
I read recently about using beeswax to waterproof hives, possibly with turps. But now I can't seem to track it down.

Is this a standard thing to do and if so could someone give me a 'recipe'? At the moment I haven't painted or treated my hives with anything and am a bit worried about their water fastness over winter!
 
Steve_e

I'm looking at doing the same thing myself on some second hand equipment I have just bought, I was using cuprinol but it seems that due to EU meddling it is now no longer bee friendly.

Someone will probably correct me, ask 3 beekeepers etc....., but the usual recipe seems to be somewhere around 20 parts linseed oil boiled up with 1 part beeswax and painted on while still hot. My only reservation is that 500ml linseed oil seems to be about £5 which potentially makes it quite an expensive treatment depending on how far it will go. The cuprinol I used last year was about £12/litre which I thought was a bit expensive, mind you its quite watery and went a long way.
 
Used to be done by boiling the hive parts in it. Expensive and VERY inflammable.

Not really to be recommended all in all.

PH
 
PH,

Do you mean boiling in turps as the OP suggested or the linseed/wax mix?

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk
 
Thanks both. PH can you clarify as per last post - and what do you do to waterproof/protect your hives (if anything). And if nothing is it not really necessary?
 
I run poly hives as I think it must be clear from my nick on here. I paint then wit emuslion to protect them rom the sun and that is all.

Boiling wax and linseed or turps is a highly dangerous combination. Be careful.

PH
 
You don't need to boil it at all - linseed oil warmed until some beeswax will dissolve in it is entirely sufficient - you could use a bain marie (big saucepan with kettlefull of hot water in it, small saucepan with mixture placed in it) - (beeswax melts at circa 62 degrees C, 145 degs F), when dissolved, take container and brush on while still warm!
I bought one of those electric slow cookers at a boot fair for a couple of quid which is ideal.......:coolgleamA:
As for "expense", I do the outside of an 8x6 shed every year, using around £5 worth of linseed oil and beeswax - that'd do a lot of hives! The added bonus is it smells and looks gorgeous, and is non-toxic (I use food grade linseed oil, in theory you could eat it!)
 
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Beewax does not make a hive waterpfoof and it is too valuable stuff to use in wood preserving.

And note that moisture comes from inside and you shoud use a such paint which makes the wood to breathe.

One thing more about robbers. Beewax invite robbers to the hive. That you want?

In cold beewax sis very fragile and the wood changes its surface according dry and wet weather. The paint's duty is to seal the wood cracks and tiny holes.
 
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The mix works as designed - allows the wood to breathe, keeps the water out, and I've never had any robbing problems - perhaps Finman has been doing it wrong!
 
And as for price. I bought 5 litres for around £20 earlier this year, from where I cannot quite remember, but try this link for size. You may not want to drink it, but your horse might :)

5 Litres £22 before carriage of course - That's not putting the horse before the carriage by the way . . . :) :)
 
The mix works as designed - allows the wood to breathe, keeps the water out, and I've never had any robbing problems - perhaps Finman has been doing it wrong!

i have done nothing. I do not use linseed oil or beewax. I use outdoor latex .
 
What do you mean by outdoor latex finman? I googled that and got all sorts of possibilities - including some frankly dodgy looking websites...
 
Ah yes, sorry. Must have got mixed up with my usual browsing habits!

- No but really (he protested a little too vigorously) google 'outdoor latex' and number seven on the first page does throw up a more than dubious site.
 
Steve,

I think you forgot to add "paint" to your search criteria, well that's what I've just told the Mrs! :D

Jim
 
I have a friend who's still in therapy following his online research into a rainwater recycling system - he absentmindedly googled "butt pump":biggrinjester:
 
Thanks for that Rooftops. Apparently also in Finland?
 
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