Bee-list:
 
Over the past week I have noticed a large number of bees on the front of
one of my newly collected swarm hives.  Many of these bees were on the
landing board and front hive wall moving back and forth, heads down,  as if
trying to nibble on something on the painted surfaces. They appeared very
earnest in what they were trying to do. I can only postulate that they were
trying to remove something on the painted landing boards and front wall of
the hive body.  I had recently painted these hives and front entrance
bottom boards with two paints. (ingredients listed below)
 
TOday I return to this apiary and found a large number of dead bees in the
front of two hives. All other hives were happy and productive, we are just
entering the summer honey flow in Santa Barbara.
 
 
 
Latex exterior primer
 
(Ingedients: water,
Acrylic polymer,
Titanium Dioxide,
Calcium Barium Phospho  Silicate,
Calcium Silicate, and
Cristobalite)
 
and high gloss latex enamel paint
 
(Indredients: Water,
Acrylic Polymer
Titanium Dioxide
Ethylene Glycol)
 
 
It also got very hot over the last 3 days into the low 90's.  I am
wondering if the combination of new paint and hot temps created fumes that
permeated the hive resulting in a large loss of bee population.
 
Are any of these ingredients toxic to bees?
 
Are there certain paints (flat latex, etc) that are safer for beehive
woodenware paintings?
 
Thanks for any input.