Diff between packaged bees of same species

[drlonzo]

This spring - actually 4-5-2014 we bought 10 - 3 pound packages of Italian bees from Mann Lake which came from Olivarez Honey Bees in Cali, Shipped to the new store in Wilkes-Barre PA.  These packages were all hived on the next day at about noon.  All queens were in excelent shape, and were all released by her package of bees within 2 days.  All were hived in new 8 frame hives, all were given 1 frame of fully drawn comb, and 3 were given 2 frames fully drawn.  Each of those frames had honey stores from deadouts (starvation - did the autopsy myself).  Each hive was given a hive top feeder of the low/no drown that FBM designed, which has the same sized container in each. 

Now then, I removed the queen cages two days after the installation of the bees, put everything back in order and closed up the hives.  I've been feeding the hives 1:1 syrup from the getgo since they needed to draw out new frames of comb.  Up until 3 days ago all my hives had been taking down all the feed each day.  Then 3 days ago my #1 hive only takes down about half the feed, and each day that's all they have taken down since then.

So today was about 10 days after removal of the queen cages and time to go look into the hives and verify that we had capped brood.  I started with my #1 hive and went in order to #10.  Here's where things get a little strange.  All my hives are very gentle at this point from all that can be seen, which is an awesome thing in general.  So on to the good stuff.  While in the hives I noticed two things,  1 - All hives had capped brood and about the same amount cross the board, and 2 - Each hive had managed to draw out nearly the same amount of new comb with exception to my #1 hive.  All hives had between 6 and 7 fully drawn frames of comb at this point except for the #1 hive which had only 5 and no signs of working on any of the rest of them, whereas the others were working away at the remaining frames. As a clarification here, the hives that had been given the two fully drawn combs had 7 fully drawn frames and the ones give just 1 had 6 fully drawn frames.  I used foundation on all frames at this point to get them started straight.  Plan to go foundationless once i get some good straight frames to work with.  Makes things easier. 

Now i'm not completely new at this or anything but what i'd like to know from everyone is have anyone had similar results with packaged bees like this? 
It's as if the #1 hive had gotten a load of older bees or something and refuse to draw comb.

[TenshiB]

At the rate they're going, I'd say you're facing excellent results regardless of variations between the hives.. You're using 8 frame bodies and the lowest number of drawn frame you've got is 5 in one of the hives?? For ~10 days, that's a Godsend! That or my bees are retarded. I use plastic foundation and they seem to take eons to draw it. I've started spraying the undrawn frames with 1:1 that has a little bit of pro health mixed in and that seems to be getting results.. But again, your bees sound like they've got skills whereas mine are on turtle speed.

[drlonzo]

TenshiB - Do you use oils at all in your feed?  I've been using basically Honey B Healthy in mine.  Developed by WVU and really seems to work well then.  I was told by a guy in GA that if given to the bees it helps them want to draw comb.  Apparently they are doing just that.  He also told me that they will brood up pretty quick using it.  We'll see how good that tip was soon enough.

[Better.to.Bee.than.not]

I think you are fine, the hives being gentle is typical of a new hive, they're busy doing their thing and getting orientated themselves, early first year hives are often real gentle. 2) they are building good wax, fine there. 6-7 fully drawn frames is fine for 10 days. 3) could be many things with #1. They made frames you said, so they aren't 'not' doing it, and you said it had capped brood, so the queen is doing something obviously, so I think you are fine. keep a eye on them though with the next inspection if you are nervous.