I’m new to beekeeping. Have 2 flow hives. Installed nucs in May. One is producing tiny black hard bits like parsley seeds but irregular in shape like it could be poop, in the bottom tray. I can’t identify. The paper lip is 1inch for scale. Any ideas?image|375x500
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It almost looks like mouse poop!
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Welcome to the forum Eileen, lots of nice folks on the forum to give good advice to help with your journey.
Thanks for the photo, if it is poo then it is from an insect that shouldn’t be taking up residency in the hive.
Maybe something like a cockroach which I have occasionally found in my hives. Bees don’t seem to be able to sting them.
I doubt it is a mouse, the bees will quickly sting it to death not giving it time to do that amount of pooing.
Take your time with your next full inspection to find what it is being untidy. I wouldn’t rush out to the hive now but something to look into at your next inspection.
Cheers
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I agree - cockroach poop. I get the same in my hives and I see the roaches.
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Thank you Peter for responding. Maybe you can help me with another dilemma. My other hive was doing really well and I realized there was a nectar flow on beginning June. So panicked, thought I’d better get the flow super on. Put it on and the bees started to work it immediately. Now filling and capping I can see through the window. Alls well they have a queen excluder on. Dilemma. What do I do in winter. I realize in Ausie they don’t need a medium super under the flow super. But I don’t think we here in mid Texas have resources in winter. I shouldn’t feed sugar water when a flow super is on. If I leave the queen excluder on, will the bees take the honey down to the queen in winter. I don’t want her laying in the flow frames.
They say you learn by your mistakes. I think my bees are thriving in spite of me.
Eileen
Wishing well
Well, I am going to be the odd “man” out here. I think they are wax moth droppings. Have you inspected the frames?
This photo shows wax moth droppings from a pretty good article - https://beeinformed.org/2011/10/10/wax-moth/
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I think you may be right
I’m going to request a State inspection from Texas A&M. They are apparently very helpful. Thanks
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You might look at doing a beekeeping course. If Texas A&M run one, so much the better. Identifying and managing wax moth is a simple part of hobby beekeeping. You can do it yourself if you know the basics. All the best to you and your bees! 
You could add a medium super between the Flow Hive and the QX which the bees will build out to give the bees more supplies for winter. Ignore any stories you hear about bees not taking honey thru a QX, that story is false. Honey, or nectar to be precise, is taken up thru the QX and stored in the super then as needed it is taken down to the brood frames to feed the brood, whether there is a QX fitted or not.
Australia has a huge range of climates so different demand for the bee keeper to maintain the hives in peak efficiency. Years ago in a much colder climate I ran 10 frame double brood hives with a super totally full of honey frames for winter stores for the bees and then sometimes had to feed them some extra if it was a longer than normal Winter. I’m now in a sub-tropical climate and 8 frame single brood boxes is the ‘normal’ here and some reserve frames of honey is left on the hive but extracting can be every month of the year.
If you have a Winter dearth then add a medium for stores for the bees over Winter and leave the QX on permanently.
Your not making a mistake and good on you for asking for advice so you don’t.
Your local bee group can be used for your local conditions and you will get good advice there as well.
Cheers
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Thank you for responding and for your encouragement. I have ordered medium supers for both hives and hope they have time to build up a store for winter.
Eileen
Wishing well
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These are cockroach poops. Here is a good article to differentiate cockroach and mouse poops. https://thecockroachfacts.com/cockroach-poop-vs-mouse-poop/