My bottom boards are flush with the hive body and have a wrap of hardware
cloth to keep the mice out.  Less rot and dampness that way.  A couple of
tacks secure the cloth to the bottom board as does the weight of the hive
bodies.
    I use no entrance reducers and my wide side opening hives seem to build
up earlier. I use a few hives with the bottom opening on the long side as the
end hives in rows of four to orient the entrance a different direction and
keep the end hives from overfilling with drifters. Seems to work.



















What bees these mortals fool.