The advantage of buying E-Tan supers from Tunnicliffes clearly shown in this photo. The brood boxes in this photo are 9 or more years old, some of the honey boxes are less, they are all E-Tan, and painted with a high quality exterior grade house paint. Except the brown one on the nearest hive which is untreated and 9 years old.
I am now very glad I made the choice to pay a bit more and get treated boxes and quality paint. Or all my hives would be looking like that brown box and I would have a lot of work to do, a lot of junk to get rid of.
The cheaper boxes would be more expensive in the end also.
My view, the cheapest and least work way for the long term, is to buy commercial grade E-Tan from Tunnicliffes, and give 2 coats of a high gloss exterior grade house paint. High gloss does cost more, but does not dirty up like the lower gloss paints.
The commercial grade boxes have a few knots and a very occasional small hole, but I just have a tube of No More Nails on hand while I'm nailing them up and if there is a hole I stick some in.
And also I nail not staple. Using 50 ml galvanized flatheads. So much stronger than annoying stapled boxes which go out of shape so easy and can't handle some rough treatment.
I am now very glad I made the choice to pay a bit more and get treated boxes and quality paint. Or all my hives would be looking like that brown box and I would have a lot of work to do, a lot of junk to get rid of.
The cheaper boxes would be more expensive in the end also.
My view, the cheapest and least work way for the long term, is to buy commercial grade E-Tan from Tunnicliffes, and give 2 coats of a high gloss exterior grade house paint. High gloss does cost more, but does not dirty up like the lower gloss paints.
The commercial grade boxes have a few knots and a very occasional small hole, but I just have a tube of No More Nails on hand while I'm nailing them up and if there is a hole I stick some in.
And also I nail not staple. Using 50 ml galvanized flatheads. So much stronger than annoying stapled boxes which go out of shape so easy and can't handle some rough treatment.
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