Getting your hive set up right starts with two things: foundations that snap securely into the frames, and the follower board, which guides your colony's early growth. The follower board confines a small colony to a manageable space so they focus on building comb instead of spreading thin across all 8 frames. As the colony grows, you expand their space gradually until they have access to the full nest box.

A small gap between the frame and the foundation is intentional and normal — it's not a defect. Exact millimeter specifications vary across production runs, so the real test is functional:

The only situation that warrants replacement is if a foundation is too large to engage the snap points at all, even with firm pressure.

Tip: If you think your foundations aren't snapping in properly, share a photo with the team and we'll assess and replace if needed.

For details on installing foundations and applying the beeswax coat, see Foundation installation and beeswax coating.

The follower board is a frame-shaped divider that confines bees to a smaller portion of the nest box when the colony is new and small. This encourages them to focus their energy on building comb in a concentrated area rather than spreading across all 8 frames before they have the population to manage the space. Once the colony is fully established, the follower board can be converted into a functional 8th frame.

Move the follower board 1–3 frames outward whenever the bees have filled approximately 75% of the frames they currently have access to. Continue expanding this way until the colony has access to the full nest box — all 8 frame positions.

Note: If bees go around or over the follower board, that's completely fine. Bees follow the queen and brood, so if they cluster on one side, let them build up there and give them additional frames as they fill 75% of their space.

A small gap between the frame and the foundation is intentional and normal. We don't publish exact millimeter specifications, since minor variation occurs across production runs. The key test is functional: if all your foundations snap securely into the frames at the connection points and stay in place, they're good to use. The only situation that warrants replacement is if a foundation is too large to engage the snap points at all, even with firm pressure. If you believe your foundations aren't snapping in properly, share a photo with the team and we'll assess and replace if needed.

The follower board is a frame-shaped divider that confines bees to a smaller portion of the nest box when the colony is new and small. This encourages them to focus their energy on building comb in a concentrated area rather than spreading across all 8 frames before they have the population to manage the space. Once the colony is fully established, the follower board can be converted into a functional 8th frame.

Place the follower board in the middle of the nest, between frames 4 and 5. Put 3 frames with foundation on the bees' side and 1 frame against the opposite wall — this creates a central gap where you'll shake the bees in.

Move the follower board 1–3 frames outward whenever the bees have filled approximately 75% of the frames they currently have access to. Continue expanding this way until the colony has access to the full nest box — all 8 frame positions.

That's completely fine — just go with it. Bees follow the queen and brood, so if they cluster on one side, let them build up there and give them additional frames as they fill 75% of their space.