Nicot System with Pierco Frames?

[ATHiker2011]

Wondering if the I can attach a Nicot queen box to the front side of a Pierco frame, or if I need to do some "surgery" on that frame to cut an opening to fit the box.

Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

[westernbeekeeper]

I have attached the Nicot laying box to the front of a Pierco frame before, but I do prefer to to cut a hole for it in the foundation/comb. The bees will fill the empty space with nice comb again once you remove the box.

[beedeetee]

I think that if you attach it to the face of foundation that you will have all sorts of bee space issues. Like another comb being drawn between your frames. You have to take back off to get the cells out (at least with the Jenter that I have), so long term you will be better off attaching it correctly.

[ATHiker2011]

Thank you both! I went ahead and cut a frame (not drawn out) and fit the laying box in there perfectly snug. I put it in a hive this morning just to let the bees sniff around a little. Now the next question - do you think the frame needs to be drawn out at all before I put the queen in there, or does it really matter with this system?

[beedeetee]

I took the excluder front off when I first put it in a hive. I let them start drawing the cells and then replaced the excluder part and eventually added the queen. I used a frame from my failed small cell foundation days. It was drawn but really ugly looking (cells of all sizes pointed in all directions). So all they had to do was draw out the Jenter box.