Does anyone think wax dipped hive bodies might attract the wrong kind of attention from robbers, pests, animals more so than painted, oiled, or scorched boxes would?
I haven’t seen any attention to my wax dipped bodies - they are usually dipped in paraffin and microcrystalline wax because beeswax has too low a melting point.
Not my experience. I don’t find them any more prone than my painted boxes. Our commercial beekeepers will by preference wax dip and it most circumstances paint them (first coat while hot from the dipper).
I really like the few hives I’ve managed to have wax dipped.
Ok because I’m seeing them for sale dipped in 100% beeswax with reviews saying how great the wax smells. But seems like that would be a bad thing
Hi @Jennyjams ,
Hive smells anyway, waxed, painted or neither. I don’t believe waxed timber is going to make any difference. The problem is using beeswax for dipping as @chau06 said. It will be “sweating” wax in hot weather.
I’d be wary of the 100% beeswax claim. There has to be rosin mixed in to stop the wax being greasy and prone to bleeding on hot days. Just like microcrystalline is mixed with paraffin.