David Margulies asked about putting a glass walled beehive (more commonly
called an observation hive in his daughter's bedroom).  I'll make my reply to
the list because I've had many beginners ask me about starting beekeeping with
an observation hive.
 
Observation hives are certainly fascinating to watch, and I am sure both Dave
and his daughter would have a great time with this one.  However, observation
hives tend to always be on the verge of either getting too high a population
or dying out.  You'll need a "ballast" regular hive that can be used to absorb
excess bees and supply fresh bees/stores when needed.
 
You will also have to consider how you plan to work on the observation hive.
You don't want a lot of bees flying around your daughter's room.  Also, the
hive would have to be "kidproof".
 
As Dave alluded to in his post, observation hives are not large enough to have
good thermal control, and the queen frankly prefers to work in the dark.  For
these reasons, observation hives are normally kept covered when nobody is
looking at them.
 
The bottom line is that observation hives are not for beginners because of all
the extra work and pitfalls.  Beginners should start with full size colonies
outdoors.  However, if you are an intermediate or better beekeeper and you
have a spot for one, a permanent observation hive is well worth the effort.
 
And if you sell honey a craft fairs and such, always bring a portable
observation hive.
 
W. G. Miller
Gaithersburg, MD