If the temperature is sufficiently low (slightly above freezing), there will be no need of closing the entrances when the bees are being carried in. Every care should be taken not to jar the hives more than is absolutely necessary from the time that they are lifted until they are in their final place in the cellar. If more than one person is engaged in carrying in the hives, the hives may be placed carefully on carriers with handles, and two or more of them may be carried at one time. HOW TO STACK THE HIVES. 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). MAINTENANCE OF THE CELLAR DURING THE WINTER. If the cellar is properly constructed it will need little if any care during the time that the bees are inside. It is only the poor bee cellar which requires constant attention to prevent changes in temperature. TEMPERATURE OF THE CELLAR. There has been much discussion as to the best temperature of the cellar during the winter. Commonly it is stated that a temperature of 40° to 45° F. is best, but this is colder than usually is best for the finest results. A temperature below 40° F. is invariably bad for the bees, and a cellar in which the temperature goes as low as freezing is not a fit place for bees. It has been found by the authors that bees do the least amount of work when the temperature of the air immediately surrounding them (inside the hive) stands at 57° F. This is, therefore, the temperature which the beekeeper should bear in mind, rather than to lay too much stress on the temperature of the cellar itself. The place for a thermometer in the bee cellar is inside the entrance of a good colony where it may be read easily by simply pulling it out. A chemical thermometer is best for this purpose, and it should register 52° F. or more inside the hive entrance. In order to have the right temperature within the hive it usually will be best to have the temperature of the cellar at about 50° F. or slightly higher. As will be shown later, however, it is quite possible to have the right temperature within the hive when the temperature of the cellar is a few degrees lower than that stated.