Hi Allen and all.  Wow, it's in the lower 60's here, windy as all get-out!
Hopefully the bees are taking advantage of the thaw to reposition the
clusters, as it will be back in the 20's (F) within a couple of days.
 
Saw a reference to the 4-packs used in Western Canada.  Is it basically a
sturdy pallet, with two pairs of hives, facing opposite directions?  I
think I have seen them illustrated in the journals.
 
My particular question involves the entrances.  If you have two colonies'
entrances right next to each other (hives abutting), do you block any
portion of the entrances (where they are adjacent), or do you just leave
them open right across?
 
I have had bees in fairly close pairs, on stands.  Basically they had about
3 inches between the hives.  This was nice and compact (simple stands made
of 2x4's), but I did notice that in the height of the summer, say during
stormy weather or dearth, the bees would "beard"  on the hive fronts and
hang in large clusters off the bottom board.  Nothing unusual, but upon
closer inspection it would often turn out that the clusters of a pair of
hives would be joined.  Bees would be running back and forth, some
obviously alarmed, and I occasionally did see small piles of dead bees from
resultant fighting.'
 
Is this a concern, with the pallets, as well?  Could queens be killed this way?
 
In some German photographs you can see apiaries of maybe 12 colonies all on
one long stand, entrances right next to each other.  There is NO space
between colonies.  I've often wondered if this becomes problematic.  On the
other hand, it is probably a good, protective arrangement for wintering.
 
Thanks for any comments or info.
 
Joel Govostes            Freeville, NY