Neighbors bees are capping and mine are not

[qa33010]

Hi all!  I have a question.  Tonight at church I asked if my neighbor was missing any bees of the newly aquired hives is losing bees, since my wasp/hornet/moth trap, which I replaced is getting a lot of mostly black bees and was asked in return if my girls were capping yet.  Evidently my neighbors hives are.

My bees are still bringing in pollen and nectar like gangbusters.  The golden rod is full as are the aster blooms.  Capped pollen and honey has stayed about 50% capped average.  Drones are leaving about 1230pm and returning about 3:00-3:30.  From 4:00 - 4:30 drones are taking short flights and when they are done newbees are doing orientation flights. All checked out by guard bees on return.  In other words, business as usual.  

Is this normal that one or three hives about a hundred feet away from another hive be at different points of preperation.  Where the other hive kicked out drone a while ago and mine are still taking mating flights and fed at the entrance?  

I don't think it matters, but, the other hives face southwest with a privacy fence behind them and are pretty well shaded morning and late afternoon.  My hive faces south-southeast and has a privacy fence about ten feet in front and a shed right behind it with sun most of the morning and early afternoon.  We have been seventies day and fifty - sixties night.  Thanks!

Jumping at things that don't exist....David

[Michael Bush]

>Is this normal that one or three hives about a hundred feet away from another hive be at different points of preperation. Where the other hive kicked out drone a while ago and mine are still taking mating flights and fed at the entrance?

Two hives side by side can often be in totally different stages of preparation for fall. One may be raising brood still and the other is just putting away stores.

But I'd also check for them being queenright.  The ones without a queen are more prone to keep drones than the ones with one.

[Chad S]

Another difference could be 10 frame super v. 9 frame?

[Dale]

Hive strength makes a difference. Race of bees ect.  My guess, the neighbor has more bees, and they cured the honey faster.

[Finsky]

Hive strength makes a difference. Race of bees ect.  My guess, the neighbor has more bees, and they cured the honey faster.

I think that this is the basic reason.

Hive must have balance with  brood - nurse bees - field bees , so it has enough nectar gathering power.

If I have a swarmed hive and a the rest  the parent colony, either can gather honey. But if I connect hives so that  they get the ballance with those features, hive will gather normally.

Bees cap honey if they get it more and cells are full..

[qa33010]

I think you may be right on the numbers theory.  Spot is there so my hive is queen right, all four hives are ten frame.  Two of the other three are new feral as are mine.  My numbers are just getting to a sizeable amount.  Where two months ago they barely covered one-and-a-half frames and now they have drawn and cover nine frames during the middle of the day more in the evening.

Thanks

David