TBH split weirdness

[bakerboy]

I have a TBH that was so full of bees and brood that yesterday we decided to split it.

Into the new TBH I moved six bars of brood, mostly capped . One of those bars had the queen on in. I also moved a bar of honey in with them. Then I shook in the bees from eight others bars and closed it up. There were a lot of bees in there when I was done.

As I watched over the next couple of hours, a few stragglers and drones crawled in, and there was a line of bees fanning at the entrance. However, what I did not see was any bees flying. Maybe one or two, and that's it.
I realize that my shaking really only netted me nurse bees, most of whom have never flown. I also realize that any foragers I shook in went back to the old hive . I know the bees are still in there because they buzz if I tap the side of the hive.

After yesterday's trauma I would prefer to not open the hive again for a few days/weeks but this is getting pretty mysterious.

Anyone have any similar experiences ? How long until the nurses learn to forage ?:scratch:

[gmcharlie]

I would also feed dry sugar, they will go thru that honey in no time!...

A cpl weeks until you have foragers. if you want them go back and shake a few more in and block the entrances with dry grass. they will move it but reorinte themselves in the process

[Daddy's Girl]

Grab a bar of honey and put it in there. Just slide it in on the end. They'll know what to do with it it from there.

Throw an entrance reducer on it to prevent robbing.

[bakerboy]

I gave them a complete bar of honey. Also, several of the brood bars I moved came from the end of the nest, and have a three to four inch swath of capped honey at the top.

Also : here's my new found hint to see if there are bees in a hive: fire up the 1965 Gravely model L and mow right up to the hive. Works like a charm.

[Michael Bush]

Until they need some stores they may not recruit a lot of nurse bees as long as their services are needed to care for the brood. When they need stores they will start foraging.