Honeycomb Frame - 8 Round Comb Honey Boxes with Lids

A Comb Honey Frame Where the Bees Fill It and You Snap On the Lid

Comb honey is a premium product, and the reason most hobbyists never sell it is the mess. Cutting comb from a frame, draining it, boxing it and still ending up with ragged edges and leaking corners is enough to put anyone off. The bees did the beautiful part. The packaging ruined it.

This frame removes the packaging step. It is a plastic frame holding eight round boxes, each with a pre-formed hexagonal starter so the bees build and cap a perfect disc of comb inside it. When a box is full and capped, pop it out, press on the clear lid and you have a sealed round of comb honey ready for a label. Replacement boxes are sold singly.

How It Works in the Hive

Put the frame in the honey super of a strong colony during a good flow. The bees draw comb on the starter in each box, fill it and cap it as they would any frame. When all eight are capped, lift the frame, push the boxes out, lid them and slot fresh boxes in for the next round.

Two things make the difference. Bees are slow to draw bare plastic, so brush a thin coat of melted beeswax over each starter before the frame goes in. And comb honey needs a crowded colony on a strong flow, so give it to your best hive and do not give that hive more room than it needs. If the flow stops halfway, leave the frame for the next one.

Why Round Boxes

A round has no corners for the bees to leave unfinished, so the cappings run clean to the edge. The box protects the comb from the moment it is capped, so nothing cracks, drips or sags between the hive and the shelf. It is also the retail pack: clear lid, comb on show, a single-serve size people buy as a gift. The frame is washable plastic and goes back in season after season.

Before You Sell a Single One

Freeze finished rounds for 48 hours before they go on a shelf. It deals with any wax moth eggs in the comb, which otherwise hatch inside a sealed box a fortnight later. Honey from a flow that crystallises fast, canola being the obvious one, turns grainy in the box and will not sell, so pick your flow. Store the rounds cool and out of the sun.

Check the Size Before You Order

This is not a full depth frame and it is not an ideal. It measures about 48cm long and 17cm deep, a medium depth frame, so check it against the super you plan to run it in. It is a comb honey frame only: not for extracting, not for brood, and it will not take wax foundation. To produce cut comb in a standard super, the ideal slotted honeycomb frames do that job.

Specifications

• Frame: food-safe high-density plastic, washable
• Boxes: 8 round comb honey boxes with clear removable lids and pre-formed hexagonal starters
• Frame size: 19 x 1 3/8 x 6 5/8 inches (about 48 x 3.5 x 17cm), medium depth
• Replacement boxes: sold singly
• Use: comb honey production in the honey super only
• Preparation: brush starters with melted beeswax before use

How many boxes come on the frame?

Eight round comb honey boxes, each with a clear removable lid and a pre-formed hexagonal starter.

How do I get the bees to draw the comb?

Brush a thin coat of melted beeswax over each starter before the frame goes in. Bees are slow to draw bare plastic.

Where do I put the frame?

In the honey super of a strong, crowded colony during a good flow. Give it to your best hive.

What size is the frame?

About 48cm long, 3.5cm wide and 17cm deep, a medium depth frame. Check it against the super you plan to use.

Can I extract honey from it?

No. It is a comb honey frame only, not for extracting, brood or wax foundation.

Why freeze the finished rounds?

Freeze them for 48 hours to deal with wax moth eggs in the comb, which can otherwise hatch inside a sealed box.

Which honey flows are not suitable?

Flows that crystallise fast, such as canola. The comb turns grainy in the box and will not sell.

Can I buy replacement boxes?

Yes. Replacement boxes are sold singly, so you can slot fresh ones into the frame for the next round.

Is the frame reusable?

Yes. It is washable food-safe plastic and goes back in season after season.

What if the flow stops halfway?

Leave the frame for the next flow rather than pulling a half-drawn frame.