If you look at the hive, it is enclosed but on the back side (you can't see that side), the panels come out and there is a plexiglass observation window behind the wooden panel).
So looking at the hive photo, there is a copper roof, which sits over a quilt box. The quilt box is a shell with fabric at the bottom and sawdust on top of the fabric. It serves to insulate and to allow moisture to escape the hive. The bees bring in nectar and water as well as pollen and have to dehydrate it to produce honey.
At the front, at the bottom, the silver piece of metal is a mouseguard, I removed it yesterday - I used it to help restrict the entrance size (didn't want them to abscond again). I also had to stuff the opening with grass initially to contain the bees in the hive (so they would make it their home). hahahaha
Below the quilt box are three hive boxes, they have handles on the sides to lift them separately. They have 8 top bars in each box and they build their beautiful and straight comb from each bar. The close up is showing the bees working on their combs.
So they are still finishing the 7th and 8th combs. It is so cool to watch them work up close. As they fly into the hive, you can see pollen heaped up on their rear legs. They form a chain (like a "Barrel of Monkeys") where they hook their legs together and pass wax up the chain to the worker who makes comb with it. They secrete wax off of their abdomens.
Well, it's not clear to me that these videos will work once I "save" this post - we'll see, I guess. The bottom video is of the front of the hive as the bees fly in. If you look closely, you will see the yellowish-cream colored clumps on their rear legs - the pollen. Not all of them have the pollen though.
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