I have 6 hives on 2- 3 hive stands. they're all within 10' of each other. so they all have access to the exact same conditions & forage & all, except for an overwintered nuc were re-queened this spring. the nuc & one hive are booming. lots of bees & brood. the others have nowhere near the same amount of brood are not building up. would the difference be mostly because of the queens?
rober,
I would say yes however, mite load could also contribute to a lethargic build up. Were all these hives over wintered?
Check for pollen frames next to the brood. She will not cross a full frame of pollen and lay. If that is the case move the pollen frames out so she will have 5 to 7 frames between them.
these were over-wintered. i'll check for pollen. thanks!
mites is the first thing that comes to my mind.
Ants and other critters can make a difference
jay