It would take a beekeeper with skills far beyond mine to manage an
observation hive without a full blown double deep hive to swap frames in and
out of . One problem is an observation hive never really has enough bees to
thermoregulate properly. The other problem is when it gets overcrowded and
swarms.
  I think trying to manage a few frame observation hive year round without a
regular size hive to keep things going is a losing proposition.
  I can't do it to the bees anymore myself I have tried.
Some kind of drapery to keep the sun off them will help tremendously perhaps
along the order of a voting booth.