Thursday, March 07, 2024

Painting the Hives



Both hives have their base color on.  I painted them first with a white primer (two coats) and then topped that with Valspar “StormCoat” exterior paint in a shade known as “Golden Promise”.  Next comes a little design work on the front.

I think am going to treat for Varroa Destructor mites (the bane of modern bee hives) with vaporized oxalic acid. The results are impressive, the oxalic acid does not hurt the bees, and does not build up in the wax. There are other remedies that are more complex, less effective, more toxic, or more costly over time.  As in everything, it’s a trade-off, but Oxalic acid seems the best fit for now.

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