Bill Hughs reports finding something that looks like sawdust in front of his
hives, and asks what it might be.
 
1.   It could actually be sawdust.   Given the recent warm weather spell,
some bees may have gone out foraging, and picked up some sawdust thinking it
was pollen.   Upon delivering the stuff to the hive, the rest of the bees
promptly tried to get rid of the stuff.
 
2.   The chewed-off cappings from the winter stores the bees are presently
eating does look a lot like sawdust, and given that you found a lot of it
inside the hive, I consider that to be the more likely explanation.   I clean
a fair pile of it off of most of my bottom boards each spring.
 
You might want to look through the stuff for Varroa mites, which will look
like brick-red oval pinheads.   If you've never seen one up close and
personal, bottom debris is a good place to look for them.
 
W. G. Miller
Gaithersburg, MD