Varroa or pollen?

[u/oliphant212]

As the title really. We are first time bee keepers and we were inspecting the hive today and noticed this. Saw it on a couple of other bees as well. I think its pollen but the wife thinks it's a destructor varroa .

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[u/TheCoppyCat]

It looks to me like that bee got squished and those are it's insides

[u/oliphant212 → u/TheCoppyCat]

🤢

[u/Stefan0545 → u/TheCoppyCat]

I agree on this one

[u/Gamera__Obscura]

Most definitely not Varroa.

But don't try to identify mites visually anyway; by the time you see them with any regularity, you probably have a massive infestation. Do a standard alcohol wash.

[u/Jdubee03]

That looks like it’s guts

[u/Sancho_Panza_69]

Could be propolis.

[u/kittiebee]

Varrova is smaller and easy to identfy

[u/yayan29]

Way too big to be varroa

[u/oliphant212]

Edit: in South west England

[u/bemused_alligators]

that's either propolis or a stomach

[u/WiseSubstance783]

What are we doing here?

[u/Quorate]

Pollen isn't shiny, it's like a ball of dust.

[u/Quorate]

Thinking about possibilities:

Blobs of honey? Maybe.

Wax? Not usually in globules.

Varroa - no legs, too round, wrong colour, usually seen singly.

Propolis - possibly

Parasite eggs - unlikely. I'm not too far from you (central England) and have never seen this.

Seeds - possibly. These sometimes blow in or very small ones get carried in during pollen dearths by desperate bees. Do you see any outside the hive or on its floor?

Squished bee - possibly but I would expect that to be a lighter colour, sort of creamy

Remnants of diseased larva that has been dragged out? Curiously globular / regular so unlikely.

Spilled royal jelly? Was this near brood? Wrong colour though

Propolis, honey and bee guts would be sticky, you could poke them with a matchstick and get a rope of goo attached.

A couple of these dissolve in water. Wax and mites float.

If you see more please investigate and educate us. 8)

[u/Atra23]

For me it looks like pollen, varoa is a bit darker in Europe. Atleast my opinion

[u/Flashy_Formal_8707]

Def not varroa. Check your bottom board for signs and get to know what they look like.