Can i decorate a beehive box?

Question

I recently made a beehive box, Ive heard of painting it plain white but i was wondering if it is advisable to decorate it with paintings of flowers/bright colored splotches to sort of make it more "homey" for the bees. I know this seems silly but my daughter has been asking to paint it and i wasn't sure if it was going to throw off the bees or something... please help and only give answers if you know something about bee keeping.

Answer 1

Yes you can. Some backyard beekeepers paint the hive white then go over with with paintings of flowers and plants. Just remember to use the same kind of paint or you will get into some peeling. Some acrylic paints do a nice job. How about a picture of a humming bird.

  If you can plan it out on paper first. After painting you may want to coat the painting with a clear coat to insure a nice picture for a long time.Remember eventually you will have a second story.