While beehives are normally kept outside in Canada, USA and UK,
it is common practice to keep beehives indoors in much of
Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia and neighbouring areas. The houses
are specially constructed bee houses. Presumably the beekeepers
have overcome the problems of handling and smoking the bees in
a confined space and high temperatures in summer. I have always
assumed that bee houses were used because of the low temperatures
in winter.
   William Kirk, University of Keele, UK.