Painting hives. Painting hives with acrylic paint: how and with what to paint bee hives correctly, tips with video How to paint a new hive correctly

Why are hives painted?

This is necessary in order to:

honey bees did not confuse their homes, since coloration is an excellent guide;

parts were protected from rotting.

forager bees remember the colors of their hive well and work confidently, which increases production indicators;

bees remember the color of neighboring houses, therefore, in a dense group, in order to reduce wandering, it is impossible to allow adjacent hives to have the same color;

hives are painted in light colors so that they are not overheated by sunlight in open areas;

correct coloring prevents the spread by significantly reducing the wandering of bees;

with good orientation of the bees, a peaceful environment is maintained without the excitability and viciousness of bee individuals;

The coloring of the hives also has a positive effect on selection and breeding work, as well as hatching and their safety during the mating season.

When painting hives, you should not use any type of paint color, but mainly yellow, blue, indigo, and white. You can combine many colors. For example, paint two buildings in different colors, and for the landing board, bottom and liner, choose paint of a darker shade, say, blue. The apiary will become elegant, and it will be easier for the bees to find their home.

If for some reason there were a lot of one-color hives in the apiary (for example, a batch of already painted factory-made hives was purchased), then the front walls of the houses should be painted in different, clearly distinguishable colors. As a last resort, you can limit yourself to painting only the landing boards.

The side boards are not painted, so they dry faster, warm up, and the rough surface makes it easier for tired foraging bees to enter the hive.

The hives are painted oil paints in spring summer period, once every 3-5 years. In practice, this is done like this: in the spring, the bee colony is transplanted into a clean, painted hive, and the vacated one is repaired and painted.

I like water based paints for facade works. Colorants allow you to create a wide variety of shades of color.

It is better to paint the roofs of the hives in white, since it reflects the sun's rays well, the bees' nest does not overheat. I have been painting roofs with silver for many years now.

firstly, it's beautiful;
secondly, in summer the sun's rays are reflected and the bees do not suffer from high temperature;
thirdly, apparently, aluminum shields the hives from electric fields, solar radiation and something else.

I became convinced of this by accident, about 15 years ago. The roof of one of my hives is covered with aluminum sheet. There is always order in this hive; since spring, development has been progressing much faster than in other families.

Painting hives is a mandatory procedure for many beekeepers. This protects the wood or other material from external factors, prevents rotting processes. This procedure significantly increases the service life of bee houses, but even this, despite its simplicity, must be done correctly. How to paint a hive correctly, what color and paint to choose? We’ll tell you about this now and be sure to watch a useful video.

Do hives need to be painted?

Before we talk about painting the hives itself, it’s worth raising the following question: is it necessary at all? Let's say right away that there are quite a lot of conflicting opinions on this matter. So, some beekeepers claim its necessity and importance, others, on the contrary, prove its harm. So that everyone can draw conclusions for themselves, we will present both positive and negative points.

So, painting bee evidence is, first of all, necessary for external protection material from damage. This is especially necessary for wooden houses who are kept on the street. Properly selected paint will prevent wood from becoming damp, maintain its thermoregulation, and protect it from getting wet. In addition, in a large apiary, if all the hives are the same, this complicates the orientation of the bees in space. Insects are easier to navigate with the help of colors if each hive is painted in its own tone, as stated in the video.

However, there are also disadvantages. Many beekeepers have already proven that bees survive wintering better in unpainted houses. This is due to the fact that many paints complicate the air exchange of housings, prevent the natural release of moisture and heat, and disrupt temperature regime. Often because of this, condensation collects inside the hive and it becomes stuffy. It is also important to take the choice of paint itself very seriously, as many are toxic to bees.

You can and in many cases need to paint a hive only with outside. The inner one remains made of natural material, which the bees will subsequently completely polish.

How can you color evidence?

Today, the market for construction and finishing products is simply abundant different types paints But not every one of them is suitable for painting hives. For example, painting with acrylic and oil paint is considered the most popular and most suitable. For more details, watch the video.

Acrylic paint

The main advantage of acrylic paint is that it is safe for bees, since it is created on water based. It does not disturb the microclimate inside the evidence, is odorless, dries quickly and is easy to apply. Acrylic is resistant to sunlight and moisture, so it can last up to 15 years. The painted surface does not lose color, which makes caring for the hive easier. Another significant plus is that it is suitable for different materials, be it wood, plywood, polystyrene or even concrete.

Acrylic paint allows moisture and air to pass through, so it does not form fungus. But it needs to be applied only to a specially prepared surface with putty, as shown in the video. Only wood that has not been painted before is painted. Must be used facade paint for external surfaces. Also before processing acrylic paint All surfaces must be clean and dry.

Oily

One more good paint, although compared to acrylic it is not as effective. It is also durable and safe, but has a much shorter service life. A high-quality oil coating retains its properties for 4-5 years. They also have a significant disadvantage, which beekeepers often talk about - it creates a film that does not allow moisture and air to pass through. This impairs thermoregulation and air exchange.

Serebryanka

Few people are familiar with it today, but previously a very popular paint was aluminum powder. As you understand, its benefits are even much less than those of oil. Today it is no longer used for painting walls, but only as a covering for the roof. Here it justifies its properties to the fullest - it reflects ultraviolet rays. This prevents the hive from overheating and makes it look very nice.

This type of paint will also come in handy if there is a large power line nearby. Aluminum will create a special protective screen. This composition can also be used to paint the side walls, since silver is stable and does not swell from moisture.

Liquid glass

Although this is not exactly paint, its protective properties are far superior to even silver and acrylic. In addition, for many this option becomes very profitable. As they say, cheap and cheerful. So, liquid glass you need to cover the outside walls of the evidence at least three times. Each layer must dry well before applying the next, which takes about 15 minutes.

Liquid glass creates a durable layer that protects the hive from any climatic conditions, prevents corrosion and all subsequent material defects. This coloring will also increase the service life of the houses due to the fact that bees will not be able to gnaw on it.

Don't forget about choosing the right paint color, which greatly influences the orientation of the bees. Each family remembers its house by color. If you have a lot of hives, and there is little variety in the types of paints, then alternate the shades of the front walls or flying boards. Bees also remember the color of a board or some kind of pattern very well. See the video below for more information.

Video “Using Triora glaze”

In this video, the beekeeper will not only talk about what kind of evidence paint he uses, but also show how to quickly and easily carry out the entire procedure.

Organization of apiary farming, as well as care of an existing apiary - not an easy task. Assembling bee houses requires certain skills and craftsmanship; it is important to provide for any little details in the future homes of bee colonies, and even the color of the hives has an important role in beekeeping matters. great value. In this article we will find out what paint is best to paint a bee hive, and why painting it is necessary in general.

What problems does painting hives solve?

It may seem that the need to color hives is greatly exaggerated, but in fact this is not the case, since coloring helps:

Honeybees are guided by the fact that they unmistakably choose their home, remembering the color of their native hive. This is very convenient for insects, and avoids possible confusion between fellow tribesmen;
Protect hive elements from the occurrence of mold and mildew, which contribute to premature rotting of the structure.

In addition, when running an apiary farm, painting bee houses:

helps to increase apiary productivity. By perfectly remembering the colors of their own home, bees engaged in honey collection begin to collect pollen and nectar more confidently;
reduces the number of wandering insects, thereby helping to solve main problem dense group placement of hives.

Insects are able to remember not only the color of their hive, but also the houses of their neighbors; you cannot place identically colored houses next to each other.

light colors prevent overheating of hives under the sun, provided they are located on open areas apiaries;
allows you to prevent the spread of infections when the hives are painted correctly and the bees wander much less in search of their home;
has a beneficial effect on breeding work, breeding of queen bees, preservation of the queen bee during the breeding season.

And finally, well-painted bright bee houses become a real decoration of any apiary, allowing you to get purely aesthetic pleasure from contemplating your farm.

Some beekeepers neglect painting, holding the opinion that bees will calmly endure the cold in wooden hives that do not have a coating in the form of a thin durable film, which is provided by paint. Since the hives are outdoors most of the time, the tree is constantly exposed to an aggressive environment.

Without protective film(painting) moisture has unhindered access to the wood, the elements of the hive structure quickly become covered with mold and begin to rot, creating an unfavorable microclimate for the life of the bee colony.

Features of color selection

What color should you paint your hives? It is recommended to choose certain shades: yellow, blue, and dark blue colors deserve attention. Bees love this palette. Although it is more appropriate to talk here not about love, but about the peculiarities of insects’ perception of the yellow, blue, ultraviolet region of the spectrum, with the exception of the red region; bees simply cannot see any shades of red.

There is no point in painting houses with “ultraviolet” emulsions (you can purchase them if desired) or red shades; the first ones cannot be distinguished by the beekeeper, the second ones cannot be distinguished by the apiary workers themselves.

Painting one body with several colors is advisable in a queen-breeding farm, when a multi-place hive requires close proximity of the flight boards. This variety of colors serves as a good guide for the queens during the breeding season, allowing them to quickly find their entrance during mating flights. If bees can calmly wander in search of the entrance to their native nest, then a lost queen can die if she flies into someone else’s house: insects can be extremely hostile to the presence of a second, and even unfamiliar, queen.

Combinations of shades are allowed, for example, when painting two hulls with different colors, the landing board, bottom, and liner are painted in a darker shade, for example, blue. This will simultaneously make it easier for insects to find their home and give the apiary farm an elegant look. In addition, as already mentioned, using white paint provides additional protection against overheating.

The optimal colors that ensure the least heating of the hives by the sun's rays are white, light blue, light yellow and light gray

Sometimes there may be a large number of one-color bee houses in an apiary, as happens when purchasing factory products in bulk. Painting the facades of houses with different, but always distinguishable colors, will help solve the problem of “monotony” of the apiary. Will also work alternative option when only the landing boards are painted.

There is no need to paint the side boards; without paint, these elements can quickly dry and warm up, and the rough surface makes it easier for workers returning from work to enter the nest.

Choosing a coating: advantages and disadvantages of paint and varnish products

What paint should I use to paint bee hives? Definitely compositions on oil based, when it comes to processing external sides bee house. Oil paints have the advantage of high speed drying and no unpleasant odors. Nitro paints dry even faster.

For painting lids and back walls, it is best to choose silver paint - it dries quickly and reflects the sun's rays

The internal parts of the hives cannot be painted; this procedure has negative consequences:

the wood stops “breathing”, which makes access difficult fresh air, as a result of which the hive begins to be poorly ventilated, and this affects the health of its inhabitants;
painted wood is guaranteed to lose its beneficial properties.

For these reasons to cover internal elements and the walls of the house use propolis, this option eliminates air exchange problems, in addition, propolis is known for its antimicrobial effect.

The frequency of painting is once every 4-5 years; it is preferable to do it in spring or summer. In practice, this looks like this: first, bee colonies are transplanted into clean, painted hives, the vacated houses are repaired, and then repainted.

VIDEO: Acrylic glaze - the most good option for painting

Using any paint will have pros and cons. The most common types of painting materials:

oil compositions - easy to apply, dry quickly, do not smell.
acrylic - they are resistant to ultraviolet radiation and sanitary treatment, they are perfectly applied, eliminating disruption of air exchange. Surfaces painted with acrylic paints will delight you with the freshness of their color for a long time;
silver paints. This special kind Paint and varnish products are used mainly for painting the roofs of hives or rear walls in order to protect the house from excessive exposure to direct sunlight.

Nowadays, painting a beehive for bees is most often done with acrylic paints, which are preferred by beekeepers who have managed to appreciate the advantages of such a coating:

high evaporation rates guaranteeing quick drying. Indeed, the drying speed in summer is approximately 1 hour;
the presence of natural ingredients, eliminating the release of toxic compounds;
no toxic odor;
excellent adhesion characteristics;
vapor permeable, which eliminates the formation of fungus and mold;
frost resistance;
maintains the brightness and freshness of color for years (on average 10 years);
long-term operation(oil paint can only withstand 3-4 years);
It is easily tinted, which creates additional convenience for the beekeeper.

The hives are painted with regular acrylic compounds for facade work.

Painting polystyrene foam bee houses requires preliminary testing of the material's resistance to solvents.

Consumables and rules for quality painting

How to paint bee hives? Yes, with anything: you can use it for these purposes paint brush, roller, spray gun. If there is a large volume of work, it is advisable to use the last proposal.

How to do this correctly?

Preliminary correction of all defects - roughness, chips, protruding fasteners (protruding nail heads, screws), poorly nailed handles.
Preparing the hives - sealing the cracks with putty, after the mixture dries, the surfaces are sanded.
Removing resin residues with a hot solution of baking soda, you can use turpentine. A similar procedure is necessary for hives made of coniferous wood.
Ensuring freedom of access to painted objects. It makes sense to use slats on which you can conveniently place structural elements and the body of the houses themselves.
Using primer - prerequisite. Otherwise, the coating will not last long and the entire job will need to be redone.
Paint is applied only after the primer has completely dried. Proceed similarly for the next layer.

Repainting bee houses involves using a similar color range. The color change will confuse the insects, which will begin to behave restlessly and will waste extra energy in search of their native hive.

So, there is nothing too complicated in the question of how to paint a hive. When the main goal of painting has been achieved - protecting insects from negative external influences, all that remains is to correctly arrange the colorful houses to avoid confusion between neighbors.

VIDEO: Painting hives - all the fun

Painting hives is a mandatory procedure for many beekeepers. This protects wood or other material from external factors and prevents rotting processes. This procedure significantly increases the service life of bee houses, but even this, despite its simplicity, must be done correctly.

Let's say right away that there are quite a lot of conflicting opinions on this matter. So, some beekeepers claim its necessity and importance, others, on the contrary, prove its harm. So that everyone can draw conclusions for themselves, we will present both positive and negative points.

So, painting bee evidence is primarily necessary to externally protect the material from damage. This is especially necessary for wooden houses that are kept on the street. Properly selected paint will prevent wood from becoming damp, maintain its thermoregulation, and protect it from getting wet. In addition, in a large apiary, if all the hives are the same, this complicates the orientation of the bees in space. Insects are easier to navigate with the help of colors if each hive is painted in its own tone, as stated in the video.

However, there are also disadvantages. Many beekeepers have already proven that bees survive wintering better in unpainted houses. This is due to the fact that many paints complicate the air exchange of housings, prevent the natural release of moisture and heat, and disrupt the temperature regime. Often because of this, condensation collects inside the hive and it becomes stuffy. It is also important to take the choice of paint itself very seriously, as many are toxic to bees.

It is possible and in many cases necessary to paint a hive only from the outside. The inner one remains made of natural material, which the bees will subsequently completely polish.

How can you color evidence?

Today, the market for construction and finishing products is simply replete with different types of paints. But not every one of them is suitable for painting hives. For example, acrylic and oil are considered the most popular and most suitable.

Acrylic paint

The main advantage is that it is safe for bees, as it is water-based. It does not disturb the microclimate inside the evidence, is odorless, dries quickly and is easy to apply. Acrylic is resistant to sunlight and moisture, so it can last up to 15 years. The painted surface does not lose color, which makes caring for the hive easier. Another significant plus is that it is suitable for different materials, be it wood, plywood, polystyrene or even concrete.

Acrylic paint allows moisture and air to pass through, so it does not form fungus. But it needs to be applied only to a specially prepared surface with putty, as shown in the video. Only wood that has not been painted before is painted. It is necessary to use façade paint for external surfaces. Also, before applying acrylic paint, all surfaces must be clean and dry.

Oily

Another good paint, although not as effective compared to acrylic. It is also durable and safe, but has a much shorter service life. A high-quality oil coating retains its properties for 4-5 years. They also have a significant disadvantage, which beekeepers often talk about - it creates a film that does not allow air and moisture to pass through. This impairs thermoregulation and air exchange.

Serebryanka

This type of paint will also come in handy if there is a large power line nearby. Aluminum will create a special protective shield. This composition can also be used to paint the side walls, since silver is stable and does not swell from moisture.

Liquid glass

Although this is not exactly paint, its protective properties are far superior to even silver and acrylic. In addition, for many this option becomes very profitable. As they say, cheap and cheerful. So, you need to cover the outside walls of the evidence with liquid glass at least three times. Each layer must dry well before applying the next, which takes about 15 minutes.

Liquid glass creates a durable layer that protects the hive from any climatic conditions, prevents corrosion and all subsequent material defects. This coloring will also increase the service life of the houses due to the fact that bees will not be able to gnaw on it.

Video “Using Triora glaze”

In this video, the beekeeper will not only talk about what kind of evidence paint he uses, but also show how to quickly and easily carry out the entire procedure.

Painting hives with different colors is simple, but important process, the finishing touch that will make them pleasing to the eye and to work with.

paint protects wooden hives from rotting processes, humidity, and temperature changes;
painting significantly extends the life of your evidence, which can save a lot of money;
bees do not distinguish between some colors, so they have difficulty finding their hive; painting with different colors makes their task easier.

Flaws

paint impairs moisture exchange, so there may be high humidity inside the evidence.

Painting bee box with different colors

Painting this bee box house is as easy as shelling pears. A primer and water-based emulsion should be included with this model. First, the bee box is primed, all irregularities and joints are smoothed out, then paint is applied using a spray gun.

Painting polystyrene foam hives in different colors

It is not only advisable to paint such new polystyrene foam hives, but simply necessary. Best choice will become colored water-based paint. The evidence looks new and shiny, does not get dirty as much, and the paint also protects it from harmful effects UV rays on polystyrene foam.

In the video you can clearly see how to paint bee homes correctly.

Which paint should I choose?

Oily

Oil paint is rightfully considered more durable and strong. It is best used to paint the outside of evidence. After it dries bad smell fades away, this is a very powerful argument for the health and well-being of bees. It is not recommended to paint the inside of the hive so as not to disrupt gas exchange and the flow of fresh air; the outside is sufficient. The insides can be covered with a small layer of bee propolis. Not only will it not interfere with gas exchange, but it will also serve as an excellent antiseptic.

Acrylic

Acrylic paints do not create airtight coatings, thereby not disrupting gas exchange. They are environmentally friendly and do not create unpleasant odors. In addition, such paints are very resistant to UV rays and do not fade in the sun. Another advantage is the ease of application and care - they are quick and easy to clean. Acrylic paints can last up to 15 years; you must admit, this is not a short period of time. There is only one BUT! When using this type of paint, it is worth remembering that it should be applied to previously unpainted surfaces.

Serebryanka

Serebryanka is aluminum powder. It is recommended to paint the roofs of hives with it. First of all, it is very beautiful. But beauty is not the main thing we strive for. The silver lining on the roof reflects the sun's rays, which allows the hive not to overheat in the hot summer. Aluminum also creates a screen that reflects ultraviolet radiation and electric fields. Lateral and back walls can also be painted with this composition. The advantages of silverweed include the fact that it does not swell.

Features of colors

It is recommended to paint hives in 4 colors, namely those that bees distinguish well: blue, yellow, indigo and white. This will keep your bees from getting confused! If it so happens that all the houses in the apiary are the same color, it is recommended to paint the front walls of the evidence in different colors; if for some reason this is impossible, then at least make the landing boards distinguishable. This will save the bees from wandering around the apiary, thereby saving them from the possibility of infection with various diseases.

Work time

If you work with oil paints, it is recommended to paint evidence once every 3-5 years. With the onset of spring, the bee family must be transplanted into a new painted hive, and the old ones must be repaired and repainted. When using acrylic paints, the service life of bee houses increases. They can last for perfect condition up to 15 years old!

The most best time The best time to update and paint the bee house is summer with its sunny and warm weather. Before carrying out work, you should putty the walls of the hive to avoid cracks and unevenness. Putty is made from ground chalk mixed with drying oil, or purchased in a store. With this composition, the paint will last much longer on the surface.

Wooden hives

Painting wooden hives has its pros and cons. Bees survive wintering better in clean, untainted areas. After all, a clean tree allows air and moisture to freely enter and exit the bees’ house. Forms in the hive optimal humidity preventing mold from appearing.