Better than painting bee hives? Yes!!! Use boiled linseed oil. And if you can, get a CO tank to boot

Oiling your bee hives is so much easier than painting, especially if you use boiled linseed oil, that oiling them every 4-5 years is not an issue. And if you put a heavy enough coat of oil on them the finish will last a whole lot longer than that. Ask any cabinet maker about boiled linseed oil, truly one of the best wood finishes ever discovered.
Another really super good point is if you go to reoil your hives, there is never any scraping or cleaning. Just spray it on heavy, then forget it for 5 years. With the contraption I came up with, I oil my hives in place out in the field. Totally portable and easy to use.
Never paint your hives again!