I thought I remembered one of your videos with a window in it, just couldn’t remember whether it was in the brood box or not 
Thanks Faroe, I have a few videos of that hive, I wanted to make sure I didn’t double up on this forum. Anyway hopefully it will be of some help to @Martydallas cheers
Might I just suggest that instead of a cut out you make the whole side out of polycarbonate, it is really quite strong and doesn’t need reinforcing. Then make a tailor made cover to exclude the light. Using a cut out has difficulties, water can get in and warp it and then it doesn’t fit. You can’t exclude the light completely either so the bees will try to do it themselves. A hinged cover that lifts up is much better.
Even better is to have the observation window slide in and out so that you can take it out to clean it (you will have to sooner or later as the bees line the inside of their home with propolis) and scorch the inside of the box.
Valli,
I got a response from the bee farm where I’m getting my NUC from concerning when I should move my bee’s into their permanent home.
You are right on track, they made an additional comment that you probably stated that I did not pick up on initially, the bees are stressed out from moving and being closed up in their box. I should let them relax for a day or 2 before moving them into their permanent home. The box that the bees come in (the NUC) will have an opening that can be opened. As you suggested take the NUC and their permanent home and set them side-by-side. Open up the NUC’s bee entrance, ensure that they have plenty of sugar water. After a day or 2 maybe 3 once they’ve had an opportunity to scout out the area and settle down a bit is when I am to transfer the frames to their new home and inspect and locate the Queen. There comment to me was if I’m unable to locate the Queen contact them immediately. That makes me feel comfortable about who I am getting the NUC from as well.
They also said depending on the weather I may want to transfer them immediately. Now that’s got me questioning what kind of weather would require me to transfer them immediately. Every time I get one answer 2 more arise 
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Yes a good seller will give you all the correct information - it’s worth asking all the questions but sometimes you don’t always know what to ask so it is catch 22.
Glad to be of help - now you have lots of homework to do to learn more about bees.
Start with the life cycle, then diseases and it will go from there you will find out more stuff all the time - I immersed myself in Bee knowledge and it has been 10 months - I’ve learned loads but there is always more to learn
When you first bring them home if they have travelled far let them out on an orientation flight and to poop.
If it was a short distance I would leave them until the next day so they are calmer.
Some people stuff the entrance with grass to make them work their way out. Also depends on the weather when you get them.
It was quite warm (even for Britain) when I transported my bees so as soon as I had them on the stand I opened them up to relieve themselves - it was mid afternoon so they were not going anywhere and over 100 miles from where they came. If it is less than 3 miles leave them locked up for 2 days so they have to reorient themselves
I had the air con on in the car to keep the temp down and keep them cool and ventilated.
As for studying about bees, I think I’ve done a lot but again every question I think I got answered there’s more to understand. I’ve been attending the club here which is quite good. It’s got several agricultural college professors among the group that teach at different universities nearby concerning bee’s and how to look after different diseases. Also I’ve attended an all day seminar for the Texas beekeeping Association that was quite enlightening. I think I understand most of it, it’s the physical hands on experience I needed at this stage. There is a class starting up in January with physical hands on experience that I’m signing up for. It’s my understanding that by the end of the class your encouraged to open up a hive without a suit on and find and pick up the Queen and put her back down. I’ve heard from several people that this class is quite good.
I am so excited and looking forward to all of this
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I’m on a course in January over 6-8 weeks - possible sit some exams come June
If you have them home in good weather then I would move them straightaway. They are stressed, yes but an extra ten minutes stress seems better than stressing them yet again to move them.
The grass bit it to convince them they are somewhere new and to re-orient. Never needed in my experience, especially after a move where they are jiggled about.
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@Martydallas I reread you post 200 mile south so you could let them fly while you do the transfer - the Queens pheromones will entice them back to the new box - just keep the brood ball area intact or they really will get stressed.
Prepare the new box first take out the 5 middle frames, then open the Nuc for a poop/orient flight and quickly transfer the frames having a look for the queen while you are at it - 10 mins max.
Ask if they can mark the queen - it will help you until you get to know what you are looking for.
BTW practice looking at frames - there is a right and wrong way to move the frames especially if they are foundation-less and unwired.
Yes that’s what I am concerned about looking at the frames. I do plan to use the foundation less. Just don’t want to break anything. I had asked in a previous post about just adding wire so that it would give the wax a little bit of stability due to my ignorance on how to look at them. Thinking the wire will help give a little bit of strength until I truly learn how.
I believe she will be painted, they sell queens individually and call out that they are painted. This company has indicated they’ve been around since 1888 a long time for any US company. We are still such a baby country compared to a lot of European areas.
March whether it should be good for transferring the bees. Typically nice and sunny. We did have a massive rainy season last year hopefully not 2016.
Thinking about the transfer from one box to another, i.e. one home to another, recently adopted a new cat, and introducing her to her new home I did not allow her to have full reign immediately. Giving her limited access i.e. limited change is always a benefit did not think about that when I was initially thinking about transferring the bees immediately upon bringing them to my home.
We can search for anything on Google if we know the right search words. For whatever reason when they emailed me and indicated the bees would need to relax for a day or 2 before transferring them to the new box just opened my eyes up tremendously and I totally understood at that point. When you and I were chatting about this yesterday it did not make sense to me.
There are certainly a lot of ways to over engineer it, and I like the way you think. I really like the idea of replacing an entire side with Plexi 
As long as your end grain is adequately sealed or oiled you shouldn’t have too much warping. If you are worried about the light from the kerf from the blade, some thin weather strip could be used to block that.
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