The bottom hive in a pile should rest on an empty hive body or some
other such support of about that size (figs. 2 and 3). The hives then
should be placed one on top of the other until they are four high.
It is best by far to put each pile of four hives about 6 inches from
adjacent piles, so that in handling the hives on one pile there is no
disturbance of bees in other piles. Allowance is made for this space
between the piles of hives in the estimate of the floor space needed
for each colony (p. 9).