Before you open the hive look at the entrances. Much can be learnt about the internal state of a hive by observing them at the entrance and given bellow points gives you an idea of what you are looking for. 1) Robbing– Bees fighting at the entrance gate. 2) Poison- Find piles of dead bees at the entrance gate. 3) Virus Disease- Dead Bees still moving. 4) Period of the dearth or Lack of storage- Dead drones at the entrance or drones get removed by the workers. 5) Chalk brood disease- Mummified larvae littering entrance gate. 6) Possible Starvation- Dead larvae being thrown out but not carried away. 7) Healthy colony- Pollen being carried in to the hive by worker. 8) Orientation flight- Many bee’s…