The entrance to a hive can give you some clues to the health of the hive - are you seeing normal activity such as pollen coming in, no bees fighting etc. Usually it’s a good sign that everything is going well. Look for - Are there dead bees at the entrance? Varroa load might be high. Might need treatment early. Are there bees crawling around the entrance? Varroa causing viruses to take over the hive. Need to treat for mites. Are there bees with deformed wings around the entrance? Again varroa causing deformed wing virus to spread in the hive. Any signs of runny bee poop around the entrance? Nosema. Does the hive smell bad? Check for dead or dying brood and AFB. Check for enough stores in the hive. A good chance of bees running out of stores from now to late spring as the hive will be starting to expand. If unsure of anything always get someone experienced to have a look. A good healthy hive should be active on a good day with pollen coming in and good numbers of bees going in and out of the hive. Having one bad hive in an apiary can affect the rest of the hives around the area. So make sure all hives are checked and if there are any dead outs, remove them. Weak hives - find the reason and act early so it does not spread.