front ends of the bottom-boards will then come just about to the edges of the floor, 

 and should almost touch the ends of the box when they are put m place. 



The wintering box is made 24^^ inches deep inside, so the hives can be 

 supered, if necessary, before they are unpacked. As the outside dimensions of 

 the floor are 40' inches by 45i/^ inches, these will be the inside dimensions of the 

 box, whose sides and ends must project down over the floor about ly^ inches to 

 cover it and its cross supports, and leave no opening between it and the stand. 

 Each side and each end of the box will need an upright at each end of it, yg inch 

 by 2 inches by 34i/^ inches, and if these are all placed % inch back from the end 

 of the lumber a locked joiijt will be formed which will not admit dampness. (See 

 Fig. 3.) ' The sides of the box are 4&y2 inches long by 27% inches high. The 

 ends would be 40 inches plus % '^'^'^ ^^ each end to cover the ends of the sides, 

 against which they are clamped or nailed, or 413^ inches long by 27% inches 

 high. "When these two sides and two ends are made up and placed together, the 

 outside dimensions of the box thus formed will be 413^ inches by 471/4 inches. 



Fig. 2. — End Elevation of 4-Hive Wintering Box, 

 showing arrangement of Entrances. 



After the ends are made up the entrance holes should be cut. These must 

 come opposite the hive entrances and should be as deep as the bridge will allow, 

 but need not be the full width. They are placed as far apart as possible to pre- 

 vent bees mixing when they fly. Measuring 6 inches in from each end and 3% 

 inches up from the lower edge of the box-end locates the lower outer corners of 

 the two entrances. The holes are then cut 4 inches long horizontally, and 11/2 

 inches high. In cold weather each is reduced to a vertical entrance % inch by 

 11/^ inches by means of a piece of thin board 21/2 inches by 8 inches, fastened 

 with a screw or an ordinary wire nail on which it turns as on a pivot. When 

 closed down it comes % inch short of closing the opening, leaving the 3/^ inch 

 by ly^ inches vertical entrance. A nail driven just below it prevents its coming 



