Observation windows?

I would keep it covered when not actively observing. Bees do not like light in their homes.

good to know... thank you for the reply! black cloth be okay or would you make a wood cover of some sort?

How about a black cloth and a wood cover...

As iddee said, bees do not like the light. But it's just about making them happy. If they have light coming in from an observation window, they will attempt to block off the light with propolis. No sense in having a window if you can not see through it. So do whatever is needed to keep the bees from propolizing the window.