small black capsules

**iahawk** · 03-01-2011, 03:26 PM

I have screened bottom boards with a slide-out tray that pulls out the back. I checked that today (eastern Iowa, near 50 degrees) and among the usual capping litter from honey and dead mites I found about 50 small black capsules, about the size of mouse droppings. They seem to be segmented, about 3 segments. They were on the same part of the board as the honey cappings, falling between 3 or 4 adjacent frames. I've never seen these before, and I have pulled the tray out about once a week. Some indication in my other hive, though not as many. No evidence of mouse entry, though they are clearly not mouse droppings. Bees were out flying, everything else looking good. Any ideas?

**natureboy** · 03-01-2011, 04:57 PM

it sounds like vole droppings to me. i have had some this year but the havent hurt the comb yet.

**rkr** · 03-01-2011, 05:16 PM

Anything like this? These are roach egs.

**Whitetail** · 03-01-2011, 06:19 PM

Three segments? They weren't small hive beetles were they?

**iahawk** · 03-02-2011, 07:15 AM

Thanks for the input. Possibly roach eggs--though I'm pretty sure there were 3 distinct segments. I'll go back out a bit later when it warms up a bit and pull a tray out and try to take some pictures and measurements. Definitely not an insect, more like a dropping, casing or egg, with smooth, rounded ends. I'll put a photo on later if I can.

**iahawk** · 03-02-2011, 10:38 AM

I posted on our bee blog about the capsules, with photos. I think they are, as suggested, cockroach droppings, though not as shiny as the ones in the photo above. They are more like the ones in a photo I found on a website I made a link to. So, if roaches, I'm not too concerned.
Here is my blog link:
http://bees101.blogspot.com/
Thanks for everyone's input.

**HONEYDEW** · 03-02-2011, 12:28 PM

its poo

**rkr** · 03-02-2011, 01:53 PM

It's possible, you guys up in Iowa really know your.........................stuff!!

here's some roach poo from the net. Look pretty similar.

**McSpadden** · 03-02-2011, 05:08 PM

I think it is wax moth poo.

**iahawk** · 03-02-2011, 08:18 PM

I'm hoping it is cockroach poo, but if wax moth I will need to get a warm day to rotate boxes. If I have any, they would likely be in the bottom of my 3 medium supers, which likely is now pretty empty. With temps still in the 20's at night and only mid-30's daytime, I can't do it yet. If I have them, and I did clean out some from my pull-out tray in the fall, I'll need to get at them ASAP. Fingers crossed.