Plastic section for honey comb NICOT

01 · HOW MANY YOU NEED

The sum is per frame, not per hive

They are sold singly and in two sizes: the large one, 130 × 105 × 35 mm, of which up to 4 fit a shallow frame, and the small one, 84 × 65 × 35 mm, of which up to 10 do. That gives you the real figure: a ten-frame shallow super takes 40 large sections or 100 small ones. Choosing the size is not only about looks — the small one gives an individual portion and the large one a gift or counter piece — and it is worth deciding before ordering, because it changes the number tenfold.

02 · WHICH FRAME IS NEEDED

Shallow, and without wires

Here too, the question that gets asked is not the one that decides. It is not «does it fit Langstroth?», it is «do I have unwired shallow frames?». That is the requirement: the section slots into the opening of the frame and wire gets in the way. With that met, it works on Dadant Blatt, Langstroth and Layens with adapted frames. For any other format, measure the inside opening of your frame against the section's 130 × 105 or 84 × 65. And expect a tight fit: it takes some force to seat, but once in it does not move.

03 · WHAT YOU BUY SEPARATELY

Three different things, not one

The section is only the plastic part. A complete system also needs the metal hooks or clips that fix it to the frame's top bar and hold it still while the hive is in full activity, and the clear boxes the harvested comb goes into so it does not drip and keeps its aroma. All three are in the shop, but they are three separate purchases: order only sections and you will be missing the other two on harvest day.

04 · BEFORE YOU BUY

A piece of foundation goes inside each section, and here it is worth knowing what people already using them report: they are not always all drawn. One beekeeper who tried full foundation found the bees ignored half of them, and the following year moved to starter strips only — less wax, and the colony builds its own. As with any comb production, it helps to put them in during a nectar flow with a strong colony: a half-capped section does not sell.