Painting Poly Hives

[BeeJayBee]

Thanks.

Now I have something I can do with all that propolis!

 

[Into the lions den]

I also 'paint' the inside with my propolis varnish before putting bees in them - never had them chew the hives at all.

We never get them chewing the insides either........although you wont necessarily see it they varnish the interior themselves with propolis on first proper useage.

Indeed they probably overvarnish the coat you put on if they don't like the meths smell.

 

[Swarm]

Anyone who has a paynes poly will have seen or should have seen some evidence of chewing, take a look around the entrance hole of a nuc.

 

[pargyle]

Anyone who has a paynes poly will have seen or should have seen some evidence of chewing, take a look around the entrance hole of a nuc.

Well ... there's none on my full size hives and the Nuc was OK when I put it to bed in the autumn but I will watch out for any signs of chewing when I start inspecting again this season.

However, my bees will chew away Kingspan given the opportunity .. even the slightest nick in the foil covering and they will get at it and mine it into massive holes .. and cut edges have to be well covered with foil tape.

 

[Into the lions den]

Anyone who has a paynes poly will have seen or should have seen some evidence of chewing, take a look around the entrance hole of a nuc.

Have over 300 nucs in service and there is no visible issue with it......so far anyway. However, the nature of their moulding......and all the other UK made ones I have seen recently DO look a little vulnerable to the problem as the beads are less expanded and less firmly bound together than the harder Scandinavian and German types. The latest batch are also very porous and just drink in the paint. I suspect there is significant batch variation.

The activities of great tits on the other hand does cause erosion around the hole, but from the outside. Mice chew the undersides too.

 

[Poly Hive]

As mentioned more than once over the years there is poly and there is poly, buyer beware.

PH

 

[Quis Custodiet]

I am aware of some "destructive" testing of some polystyrene hives. A shot was fired at at a piece of a Paynes nuc.( obtained when feeder was removed) and at a piece of an old Swienty box (Denrosa!). The former disintegrated into a lot of blue beads, the latter had a hole made through it, but otherwise remained in one piece. Make what you will of that.

 

[Poly Hive]

I am not proud of the following but it makes a point and not about my lashing down ability which in truth after working the deck for many years is actually pretty good...

I was driving at 40mph when I saw in my wing mirror a hive wobble on the rear RHS of the trailer. I indicated to pull over and the hive fell off. It landed on the corner of the roof, and skidded along the road.

This also speaks volumes for Spanset straps.

I stopped, ran back and picked it up, there was a fair bit of noise from the bees... along the lines I suppose of clumsy expletives deleted fool...

The roof had it's corner slightly straightened off but that was the sum total of the damage. Queen and bees went on to do well that year.

The moral yet again is there is poly and poly, buyer BEWARE!

PH

 

[Beecarer]

Why cant the hives be manufactured the same as those brown Apideas? They seem to have a good strong build and don't need any painting inside or outside.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

Apideas are manufactured in Switzerland and are certainly of solid construction.
They spend only a limited time exposed to the elements, so many users choose not to bother painting them. They do benefit from a coat of paint, just as any poly hive does, this is very obvious on apideas which have been in service for ten or more years.

 

[Beecarer]

Apideas are manufactured in Switzerland and are certainly of solid construction.
They spend only a limited time exposed to the elements, so many users choose not to bother painting them. They do benefit from a coat of paint, just as any poly hive does, this is very obvious on apideas which have been in service for ten or more years.

I would imagine the inside of the Apideas don't need painting? However they get that smooth lacquered finish on them its much different from the poly hives which are just a standard poly finish same as you get in packaging or whatever. The Apideas really are a first class product no messing about there, precision all round.

 

[fred scuttle]

Well ... there's none on my full size hives and the Nuc was OK when I put it to bed in the autumn but I will watch out for any signs of chewing when I start inspecting again this season.

However, my bees will chew away Kingspan given the opportunity .. even the slightest nick in the foil covering and they will get at it and mine it into massive holes .. and cut edges have to be well covered with foil tape.

Indeed, I agree, Kingspan does get munched. All my colonies have it and about half have been munched... I've even painted it before putting in the hive and they still munch it regardless!!!

 

[pargyle]

Indeed, I agree, Kingspan does get munched. All my colonies have it and about half have been munched... I've even painted it before putting in the hive and they still munch it regardless!!!

Only thing that will save it is aluminium foil tape on all the cut edges and a patch of it over even the slightest nick in the foil skin. I use this stuff ...

http://www.screwfix.com/p/aluminium-foil-tape-silver-aluminium-50mm-x-45m/35529

 

[fred scuttle]

Thanks for that PG - I'm always learning, and most of it involves spending more money lol!!! No, seriously, I'll give that a try as this is cheaper than buying new Kingspan inserts for sure

 

[Into the lions den]

I would imagine the inside of the Apideas don't need painting? However they get that smooth lacquered finish on them its much different from the poly hives which are just a standard poly finish same as you get in packaging or whatever. The Apideas really are a first class product no messing about there, precision all round.

That's just not true.

The rather smooth shiny effect is a by product of the hot vacuum moulding process that most good poly is made from. Suspect you have not seen many brands.

Yes, Apideas are a first class product, but well overpriced for what they are.

The finish on them is fairly standard and not in any way lacquered. They should be painted like any other poly. They will weather just the same (I have some that are over 15 years old) albeit more slowly due to the shorter season they have sitting outside.

Most UK made poly is a bit different and very 'beady' on the outside. I have not checked for some time but the UK did not have the technology to make sufficiently dense poly with the best finish on it so it mostly came from various plants in Northern Europe. Other makers simply cast the product, producing a product with a hard exterior but relatively brittle and a bit loose in the interior.

As polyhive said....there is poly and there is poly.

 

[BMH]

as promised, all 4 hives painted and finished now.

I just painted them in situ as i got bored of waiting for the non existent warm weather.

I quite like how they have turned out

[/url]2016-03-28_10-16-47 by laurence edwards, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[madasafish]

Only thing that will save it is aluminium foil tape on all the cut edges and a patch of it over even the slightest nick in the foil skin. I use this stuff ...

http://www.screwfix.com/p/aluminium-foil-tape-silver-aluminium-50mm-x-45m/35529

I use Wickes own aluminium foil. cheaper and just as good. (Wickes site down at present)

 

[pargyle]

I use Wickes own aluminium foil. cheaper and just as good. (Wickes site down at present)

Come to think about it ... the last roll I bought was from Toolstation and that was about £2 cheaper as well - and just as good.

http://www.toolstation.com/search?searchstr=97723 81953 53122

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

keep an eye out in Lidl - they often have foil tape on offer

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Does the foil tape oxidise and go a Matt colour ??