ANEL® plastic super, Langstroth and Dadant US

01 · WHICH FRAME IT TAKES

48 × 16 cm, wood or plastic

It takes 48 × 16 cm frames, the Langstroth half-super size, in wood or plastic. It sits on Langstroth wooden hives and on the rest of the ANEL system, but it is not interchangeable with other plastic systems: a Dadant NICOT has different dimensions and will not mate with it. It is supplied without frames.

02 · THE INSULATION

20 mm wall with foam inside

The wall is 20 mm and filled with polyurethane foam: that is what buffers the temperature swings, above and below. It also does not warp, crack or rot, so its working life does not depend on repainting it every couple of years like wood. The bearing surfaces, top and bottom, are non-slip — you notice it stacking on the lorry.

03 · IT WORKS LIKE WOOD

Drill it, screw it, brand it

The plastic does not force you to change habits: it takes drill, screw and hammer, and you can put the branding iron on it just as on a wooden hive, so it stays permanently identified. The handles are moulded in front and back, which on a full half-super is exactly where you want them.

04 · THE FASTENERS

They come separately

The parts of the stack are held together with fold-out fastening clips, and they are not included: they are bought separately. It is the first thing people miss on unpacking. And a note about moulded plastic: if a frame catches as you slide it, settling the stack properly usually sorts it before you force anything.

05 · BEFORE YOU BUY

Supplied without frames and without fastening clips. It is Langstroth / Dadant US size: it does not fit other brands' plastic systems.