Hi guys, thinking about getting my flow frame wax dipped, has anyone has any experience with this or know if it is better than painting or staining the hive for longevity and durability 
Thanks heaps,
Rachael
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Hot wax dipping is a better option to increase the life of a hive but if your in a hot Summer climate I would consider painting the roof white to aid in keeping the hive cool.
Welcome to the forum Rachael, lots of reading here and folks happy to help you along in learning.
Cheers
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I did with my cedar flow hive 2 - happy so far!
I swear the photos are rotated correctly before I upload…
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Flow frames are not wax dipped. It is usually the hive bodies that are wax dipped. It is best if you can find someone to wax dip them and paint them while they are hot.
If you are referring to wax on the plastic Flow frames, all you need to do is rub some beeswax like burr comb on them.
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Thankyou very much! Our summers here can get hot so a white roof is a great idea thanks!
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Ok so only the hive bodies get dipped not the actual frames, thank you! Ive been reading the forum and am looking into getting the hive so I might need to rub some of their beeswax on their to encourage them
Thankou for your response!
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We had our club one, donated by Flow, wax dipped. We did think about wax dipping and painting the roof but went with the natural look.
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Only the parts that are exposed to the weather are wax dipped, the boxes and the base board, your choice about painting or dipping the roof. The wooden frames don’t need waxing.
With a Flow hive I painted some molten wax over the plastic Flow frames on the comb and the bees worked on those frames much faster than ones I didn’t ‘paint’ the wax on as an experiment.
I prefer to wire the brood frames and fit full sheets of bees wax foundation so there is no ‘wonky’ comb built and the bees build out the comb faster and with less drone cells being made.
Cheers
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Rachael, welcome. I hot wax dip all my woodware. I think it’s the best option for long Hive life. I have also had success painting immediately after removing the hive from the wax which causes the paint to wick into the pores of the wood. It’s the only time you can paint a waxed hive.
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I love having color options with paint, so very interested in what you’re saying @aussiemike - does it matter if it’s latex or oil paint?
Early this season I needed to slap slatted bottom racks on two hives quickly, but they weren’t painted - so I melted some burr comb and brushed it on. It’s doing very nicely 
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I haven’t tested oil based paint. I use exterior water soluble paint, specifically SolarGuard. I expect any similar product will work. I tested several stains before dipping too. The water based stains faded after a short time. The oil based stains seem to be weathering well.
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Looks great! I like the natural look too
Thanks peter! I’ll give the wire a go as I’m still a beginner and won’t want them going wonky
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Hi, I was wondering how your flow hive is looking now, a year after having hot dipped them. I am thinking of doing the same, I’m not sure oil will do the job in our area as we are in the hills in Victoria where it gets pretty wet. We were expecting snow today!
Cheers, Natalie
Hi Natbb,
The wax dipping has worked great for me so would highly recommend it! This is what they look like after a year, the flow super has only been on the hive for about a month though 
I also have some langstroth which have been wax dipped and seem to have withstood the weather a bit better. I am also in Victoria 
Rachael
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Thankyou Rachael, it looks like the way to go. Has anyone tried linseed oiling after dipping? Will the wood take it? It would just be to refresh it every now and then.
Good question, Natalie. With hot wax dipping, the wax penetrates several millimetres into the wood preventing any other liquid in. It doesn’t stop the wood colour fading though. Even though it might look weathered after a years, the hive will stay sound and waterproof for 20years or more. You could try applying linseed oil, but I suspect it just will sit on the surface.
Mike
It does look good, thanks for the responses guys, it’s great help.
Hi I’m expecting my flow hive any day now and want to protect it best for longevity. Did you hot dip the woodware in pieces or when it’s been assembled?