Hi! We are brand new to beekeeping! This is our bottom tray and it is filled with oil, and I think a little water, or sugar water, may have leaked in there, as well. We bought some local bees and the very next day after transferring them to our hive, we found a hive beetle. We saw 2 more the next day…but haven’t seen any more. We’ve had our bees for 1 month. About 1 week ago, I saw 3 white larvae in the bottom tray and I squished them right away. Now, we’ve been noticing this brown debris in our bottom tray. Is it another type of larvae? We did not see hive beetles on the frames we checked today (but we did not check the very center frames because we didn’t want to disturb all the bees,) I think it’s time to add our honey super, but didn’t know if it’s ok with all of that debris (in case it is larvae.) Thanks so much!
Welcome to the forum! The long brown things look like decaying larvae of some kind - possibly wax moth, given the length and what appears to be droppings in the mix as well. SHB larvae could also be among them, hard to say from just a photo.
You will need to inspect all the frames, asap. The central frames are known as the brood nest, which is what we most need to keep an eye on for health and decisions about next steps. Disturbing the bees is an inevitable part of beekeeping - we can do our best to be less disruptive, but it can’t be avoided.
Do you have a mentor, or can you find someone with experience to look through your brood box with you? I’m concerned that you may find an infestation underway, and another set of eyes and hands will be invaluable.
Regarding the super, leave it in the shed for now. The tray shows signs that your colony’s health is in question, so that has to be addressed first. Then, once all is well, you can check with local beeks on whether it’s a good time for nectar flow in your region.
Don’t be shy with any more questions - and please keep us posted
The little short double ones look like anthers to me - those are the pollen producing parts of plants. The long thin bits look like the stamen/filament, again plant parts. Are your bees bringing in a lot of pollen?
Well, anthers and stamens would be a whole lot nicer than decaying larvae
…picturing bees bringing in whole bouquets
On second look I think @Dawn_SD is right, but please do let us know what you find in there @LittleCreeksideFarm!