There was a thread a few years back where a beekeeper asked "how long woodenware
should last?".  Some were saying they traded in their gear every five years.

Painting my way through college gave me a 'heads-up' on paint.
A few nails and two coats of a good exterior paint should do wonders to eek out
another decade or two on old beehives.  Lighter colors will reflect the sun and
allow the paint to last longer.  Paints with sheen will shed water and dirt FAR
better than those without, giving you years over flat paint.  Oil base primer
will set itself into bare wood better than latex based primers.

Kwal's "Liquid Vinyl" is one of the better 'contractor' grade paints as far as
value.  Benjamin Moore is similar but expensive.  Sherwinn-Williams and Kelly
Moore have their good & bad line of paints.  Whatever brand you choose, it
should be somewhat elastic.  When you clean out the bucket at the end of the
day, the dried paint should be more like a rubber band than chalk.

I've always wondered if oil based paint would kill AFB spores since it has a
dissolving effect on wax.  Anyone?

As for finding mistakes on used equipment, I remember a winner that was
constructed inside out - handle divets to the inside.

Good season to all!

Matthew Westall

> equipment i Come across. Makes you want to never buy used equipment.
> Improperly wired frames. Leaving out the two nails in the end bars. Not
> predrilling holes before nailing causing needless splits in wood parts.

--

     //        Earthling Bees
 >8(())))-     "Take me to your feeder"
     \\        Castle Rock, CO,  USA