Front of one hive - distance to the back of the next hive in front of it?

[jeremy_c]

How close/far away do I need to put the front of one hive to the back of another? The entrance faces east (prevailing wind is SW for me). i.e.


[ Hive 1 ] ->       ?        [ Hive 2 ] ->

-> indicates the entrance. So, how far should 1 and 2 be separated? (For the bees sake and mine when working on Hive 2).

Thanks!

[CBEE]

mine are about 30 feet.. If you need to put them real close together put them back to back

[mgmoore7]

I have seen yards with pallets of hives with less than 5 feet between pallets.  People put hives with entrances right next to each other all of the time so I think they could be close without too much trouble.  Of course, more space may be best but space can be at a premium. 

[Robo]

I would say 3 feet minimum,  but would suggest working from the side of the hive in front.   Obviously more is better, but I don't know your exact circumstances.

[iddee]

Mine are about 10 feet and I have no problem working them.

[Michael Bush]

Mine face opposite directions and are touching each other in the winter.  All in two rows of seven:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmisc.htm#hivestand

[pdmattox]

3-5 feet apart is fine, here is a pic of some of mine.

[SlickMick]

No problem with that.. the girls know which door is theirs.

Mick