Mary from South Texas sent us the following question:
Do beehives need to be white? I always see them as white. I am just starting to keep bees, and the equipment I bought from Tractor Supply is white.
As this question was sent via TikTok, I created the following video:
Here is one way to answer this question: Most hives were white in the past. White is especially good in warmer climates where a light color will reflect a lot of light and heat. In the cooler temperatures, it’s nice to have a color that will absorb heat, such as green or brown.
With the heat, we prefer lighter colors in West Texas – like the body I pained in the above video.
In the Northern part of the United States, I’ve seen hives painted dark green, blue, and different shades of brown.
So, does a hive have to be white? No, and Hives being painted white is just traditional.