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How to Coat Top Bars with Beeswax

The top bars on a manmade beehive are needed because they are where the bees begin to construct their hive. The top bars serve as an anchor for the hive, which hangs below. Manmade hives are often constructed from wood. Since the wooden hive will sit outdoors, it needs to be weatherproofed. Make your own weatherproofing sealant by using bee-friendly ingredients. To weatherproof the wood, coat it in a mixture of linseed oil and beeswax. The combination of ingredients protects the wood from harsh weather and will prevent your bee hive from rotting.

Things You'll Need

Paint brush
Linseed oil
Stock pot
Glass bowl
Beeswax
Bucket

Instructions

- 1
  Add 1 inch of water to a large stock pot. Bring the water to a boil on a stove top.
- 2
  Add 1 part beeswax and 20 parts linseed oil to a glass bowl. Put the bowl on top of the pot containing boiling water.
- 3
  Heat the beeswax mixture until it liquefies, about 10 minutes. Stir constantly to combine. Once the linseed oil and beeswax have mixed, allow the mixture to cool down until it is lukewarm. Pour the mixture into a bucket and take it to the beehive.
- 4
  Dip the paint brush in the linseed oil and beeswax mixture.
- 5
  Paint the beeswax mixture onto the top bars, working from the top down. Apply the beeswax mixture evenly so it covers the wood in a level coat. Use the tip of the paint brush to apply beeswax mixture around the nail heads, between the nail and the wood.

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