Hi
I am sanding wooden doors to remove varnish and resealing with linseed oil. The area is next to my beehives. Is it likely the dust will contaminate the honey?
Thank you.
Hi & welcome to the forum. I think that if you’re far enough away from your hives that your activity doesn’t cause the bees to chase you, you’ll be right.
Can you pick days to work when the wind is blowing away from the hives?
I wouldn’t worry. I’d wear a mask while sanding, & work far enough away from the hives, so as not to upset any of the bees, baring in mind that co2 we exhale will trigger a bees defensive mechanism. That’s what I put it down to whenever I get attacked while working near my hives. My point being that you’re probably far enough away from your hives for any dust to get into the honey.
Hi
Thanks for your speedy reply. I am hand sanding the French doors and the bee hives are only 1-2 meters away. It is a small court yard. The bees don’t seem to mind at all. I was just concerned that the dust might make its way into the hive and the honey.
Thanks
My wife doesn’t agree with me. She reckons the dust will get into the honey. I said “well, I don’t think they’ll be carrying out a commercial operation of sanding doors next to the hives”.
I do a lot of sanding with angle sanders near my hives. I acquired a lot of free pine furniture, which I pulled apart before sanding all the paint & varnish off, before using the wood for bee boxes, lids & bottom boards, as well as 50 slatted racks. I strip the wood bare so I can get copper naphthenate to soak into it better.
This is one of my photos from the peak of production, sometime last year.
Ha ha ha. Definitely not a commercial operation - just very overdue maintenance of our doors. The hives are in a court yard and three sides have wooden doors into our house - see pic.
I might just scrape off any loose varnish rather than sand, and leave it at that. Ours are flow hives - I’m not sure if that makes any difference ?
I just saw your picture- that is some serious work!!!
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I don’t think being Flow hives makes any difference. What I would be inclined to do, if it’s possible, is do the sanding out the front, in the driveway for example. That’s where I did all my sanding. My neighbors over the back can’t stand any noise I make, so around the front make it easier on them.
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Thank you, that was last year. I had a substantial amount to do this year before the spring buildup. That’s it for me. I don’t intend on doing any more, as I just commenced my 77th year.
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Hi
Taking the doors off the hinges is a lot of work and then I have to try keep the bees out of the house. I will just not sand the doors and that way I am not concerned.
Thanks for all your input.
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