Queen bee question

[jajbellsouthnet]

I have three hives. One is below average, the other two are bursting with bees, honey and pollen. I was going to take a frame of brood from one of the healthy hives and put it into the weak hive (which appears to have lost it's queen) in hope that they would raise another queen. That's when I discovered that there is no brood in either of the healthy hives. Both hives are too doggone healthy to be queenless, but I can't find any evidence of one. Are the queens really there but refusing to lay eggs or are they really gone from all three hives. I live in Central Florida so weather is not a factor. No mites, beetles or moths.

[bee_pipes]

December is generally not a time of year you see brood in frames. I've never worked bees in Florida, but it might have more to do with nectar flow, rather than temperatures. Are there foragers running pollen in an out? You can't really see if they are carrying nectar, but you would hope the pollen was collected while they were working blossoms. If there is a dearth of nectar, you can try simulating one with a feeding to see if that spurs egg laying/brood rearing.

Regards,
Pat