which poly

[Hivemaker.]

Definitely only use water based paint for poly hives,

Probably one of the biggest users of poly hives uses normal oil based exterior gloss, bonds better to the poly, by slightly melting it apparently.

 

[itma]

Probably one of the biggest users of poly hives uses normal oil based exterior gloss, bonds better to the poly, by slightly melting it apparently.

Which is why I phrased my earlier response as I did!

Anyone hoping for paint solvents to produce a hard 'shell' on their poly hive would be well advised to test a sample on a small inconspicuous area.
I suspect that the specific result may depend on the combination of the specific plastic used by a manufacturer and the specific paint involved.

Water based paints are highly unlikely to damage the hive...

 

[Hivemaker.]

OK........a lot been written while I have been away..........

In our instruction sheets for polystyrene hives, devised through our own experience laid on top of the advice from Scandinavia (sometimes incorrect btw) we recommend the following:=

Paint all parts of the hive which are normally exposed to the light. This means all outside surfaces. It is NOT necessary to paint the internal surfaces of the boxes, floor, or roofs, as the bees do this themselves with an imperceptibly thin layer of propolis. they varnish them, and when the box is fairly new you only see it where they fill in the tiny gaps between the beads of material. the rest still looks white, but set it against a split new one and you will see the slight difference. They do this to wooden ones as well btw.

So.....paint all outside facing surfaces. We use exterior gloss, but acryllic emulsion(water based) masonry paint is also satisfactory, and is the best paint for feeder insides.
Gloss paint, thinned as directed to a consistency recommended fopr spraying actually bonds with the box surface as it dissolves and mixes with a microscopically thin layer of the surface. Unless you go OTT witht he thinners yopu will never notice that this has occurred, but done correctly the paint never ever flakes.

So....Outside surfaces gloss or masonry paint.......inside the feeder (syrup compartment only) masonry paint.

Undersides of floor need not be painted as the algae do not get enough light there to grow, and so that surface stays just fine without paint.

All surfaces that the bees have access to inside the hive (interiors of floor, all boxes, and underside of feeder) need not be painted.

Only variant to that, and may be where the confusion arises, is that the material is rather translucent, especially in areas where it is thin. Our recommendation was for our National boxes, and ONLY our National boxes, where to ensure full compatibility with wood the front and back edges at the rebate are rather thin, that to prevent the bees trying to chew out to the light you should paint that area with a coat or two of polyurethane varnish. This puts a tough surface on the material and even the most persistent chewers cannot get into it. A secondaruy benefit is that it renders the surfaces more easily scrapeable.

As an aside, in Denmark, even with high density materials, I observed then painting the bottom edges of the front and rear of the boxes with this varnish, and the same reason was given, prevention of chewing. I am presuming it to be a precautionary move, with a lot due to past experience with 70g/L and 80g/L materials. The Nakka ones, in the photo earlier in the thread of the big stack of poly boxes, were normally made at 80g/L, and yes, I have lots of them, with very little or no attrition rate since buying them 11 years ago. Not anywhere near as good as the one piece versions at 100g/L and more that are the normal today. (This preceding paragraph relates to Langstroth btw).

Quote taken from a post in the link below.


http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=14754&highlight=painting+poly+hives

 

[drumgerry]

Just been painting my 5 new Swienty hives with Cuprinol Garden Shades with no apparent ill effects - no melting poly for sure! Water based and comes in better colours than the vomit-inducing pastel shades masonry paint seems to come in. And it was on offer at Homebase a couple of weeks ago.

 

[snoop]

I use outdoor masonary paint on mine & they are fine , same make as the last poster

 

[Swarm]

Bog standard emulsion.

 

[peteinwilts]

Water based and comes in better colours than the vomit-inducing pastel shades masonry paint seems to come in. .

Dulux 'Japanese Maze', or 'Highland Falls 1' masonry paint looks good to me.

Like their indoor paint, you can choose the colour of the masonry paint.

 

[drumgerry]

Hi Pete - I looked at Dulux Weathershield. Is that what you mean? I thought it was pretty expensive stuff and the Cuprinol paint has been fine - nice muted shades. I've done the BBs and roofs a dark green and the supers and floors a lighter green.

 

[Ely]

I used santex masonary paint on mine. A muted yellow colour. It needed 3 coats though

 

[beebopalula]

I used santex masonary paint on mine. A muted yellow colour. It needed 3 coats though

With black stripes?

 

[Luminos]

With black stripes?

 

[waverider]

Options I know of for poly Nats are Pains, Beehive Supplies, CWJ and MB(Swienty?).

There are two groups, the first two and the last two.

The first two are Nat standard *inside*.
And they both happen to be 500mm square outside (should be a new poly standard).
And they both offer a 14x12.
Pains are one-piece mouldings, whereas BHS boxes are four walls to be glued together.
Pains are cheaper, and IMHO uglier.

I have a Pains 14x12. The bees like it. But the roof is too thin (daftly its thinner, less insulated, than the walls). However, the combination of a Pains roof plus super plus Kingspan to fill is actually cheaper than a BHS roof.

No problems with durability so far. No chewing, no slug damage. The plastic is higher density than the Kielers I have seen. They are in the same material as the Pains poly nucs, if you've met them.
Painting it white makes it even uglier.
Consider your mouseguarding ahead of time - you can't just use a standard part from T.
I use a framed qx, and a proper framed polycarb crownboard, rather than thin plastic items resting on the frame topbars. Visible, but works fine.
Being internally standard, it interoperates nicely with other wood parts - except that a wooden roof won't fit over a poly super!
The brood box sticks to the floor (there is a wraparound joint) - so with a 14x12 I need a second pair of hands to split them. I can't lift, balance on one leg and get a good enough kick at the floor.
For the same reason, you can't put a Pains poly super direct onto a Pains poly floor (should you ever want or need to).
Summary - cheap, zero assembly (unless you want castellations), bees happy and thriving - but looks embarrassing (especially painted white - but that is due to be changed). Would buy more, possibly without the floor.

I steered clear of Pains original poly feeder, thinking it ill-conceived. Haven't examined the Mark 2 yet.



The BHS floor looks a much more practical design. And the roof is much prettier. The whole thing looks much less visually offensive!
But just floor+roof costs more than a complete Pains (empty) hive.



The CWJ is standard Nat *external* dimensions - so it only takes 10 brood frames in the box. And they do offer a pretty conventional feeder in poly.


The MB is top beespace.

Spot on with these comments as i too have BHS and P8ynes poly hives and can relate to this.

I bodged together a mouse guard that may not have worked as there is some nibble marks on the poly front. P8ynes have released a plastic entrance block that could also be used as an effective mouse guard (3 centre holes).

Appearance:- The P*ynes does resemble a mini-tardis.

Maybe avoid buying the frames with the hive if you go with BHS. Worst frames i have had.

 

[Madge]

Maybe avoid buying the frames with the hive if you go with BHS. Worst frames i have had.

I've only used MB's Langstroth medium frames and I agree - they're absolutely horrendous.

First there's the design problem: the top bar is the same thickness throughout, so it has the effect of reducing the usual top bee space in a Langstroth to almost nothing (but correspondingly lifting the bottom bar).

They were well-made when I got my first hive from MB, but the frames I have bought since then are terrible. Parts do not fit or are made from really bad quality wood - the end result is ramshackle and unstable. Yes, avoid them.

Kitta

 

[victor meldrew]

None according to another thread!
Tin hats ! Dig in !
VM


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[Madge]

None according to another thread!
Tin hats ! Dig in !
VM

No, you don't need to cover your heads. I misread Waverider's post. He was talking about BHS frames (of which I know nothing) and I was talking about MB frames.

Sorry. Kitta

 

[victor meldrew]

No, you don't need to cover your heads. I misread Waverider's post. He was talking about BHS frames (of which I know nothing) and I was talking about MB frames.

Sorry. Kitta

Hi kitta, I was referring to a different thread rather than post! listing all the reasons that poly hives should be avoided!
Polystyrene is (according to the thread) poisonous , leaches dangerous chemicals and must be condemned to history !
Again tin hats, dig in !
VvM


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[madasafish]

So my house insulation is killing me? (Kingspan contians poly, as do fridges and planes and cars and...)

 

[itma]

Hi kitta, I was referring to a different thread rather than post! listing all the reasons that poly hives should be avoided!

Actually it was a bit of internet scare-spam about foam plastic coffee cups and the marine pollution they cause ... with a bare minimum of search-and-replace.
Quite what the copy-and-paster thought it was supposed to have to do with Feral Bees simply escapes me!


I'm sure VM remembers the good old days when wooden hives were 'preserved' by total immersion in creosote - yes, the stuff you can't buy any more being used on the inside of the hive. Soaked in the stuff. They lasted for ages!
Apparently, exposure to the contaminated honey could lead to an aversion to modern methods and materials...

 

[Ely]

With black stripes?

Hehe. Actually, I did toy with the idea of painting some of the boxes black but I didn't have the spare change for paint at the time

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[theeggman]

Sorry Itma,

You can still get real Creasote in 20lt drums, it's just not available to joepublic in 5lt cans.
In our chicken houses between flocks and below floor level we sprayed a mix of creasote/red diesel to kill off redmite etc. Old system ( don't tell Freedom Foods) but works.
By the time the new birds came in and started laying any smell/taint had gone and we had a lot less redmite and other bugs.
Tim.