Red Bee Hives - to be avoided?

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Joined
May 28, 2020
Messages
133
Reaction score
77
Location
Wantage, Oxfordshire
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
9
This may be a strange question.

I have a red bee hive (see pic). It's not the first red bee hive. I've also seen that I'm not the only one.
Now I know that pure red flowers pose a problem for bees as their eyes are not designed to see them. They find red flowers when there are other invisible (to humans) colours that they can see.
However ... I've never found them to have a problem finding or returning to a red hive.

Anyone had a problem with a red hive?

IMG_4460.jpeg

BTW with this hive I've experimented with something I read:
  • Layer 1: 50/50 Linseed & white spirit
  • Layer 2: 75/25 Linseed & white spirit (2nd coat)
  • Wait a few days until the surface no longer feel oily
  • Layer 3: Red hammerite
  • Layer 4: Red hammerite (2nd coat)
  • Left for several weeks to totally dry and cure
So far so good.
 
I have a couple of reddish hive stands and will shorty have lots of red poppies - which bees love.
Never had any problems.
 
Red flowers can be seen by bees using their ultraviolet range. Red hives still have an entrance that the bees will orientate to. Think of a tree trunk with fire damage it is seen like the colour red as black by the bees, if there is an entrance in the burnt section, they can still find it.
 
Just because we see something as red doesn't mean that's the only visible colour there either. There may be other colour components that we don't pick up so easily. I'm sure I could fairly easily find a dozen things that people would describe as "red" that are not actually the same because they have other colours mixed in. Presumably bees may be able to see many of those despite not being able to see the red end of the spectrum.

James
 
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