Can someone identify this back hair like stuff

[ChrisT]

Can anyone identify this black hair like stuff?
It breaks really easy so its not "hair". I checked the hive for a critter, none found.
It doesnt look like wax moth web with the black poop in it.
My hive looks ok unless im missing something. Ill admit i didnt check every frame today but a few in each level (of 5 levels) and didnt see anythign scary, just tons of bees.

I went to go put oil in my oil tray and saw this down in the oil tray (its not in the actual hive)
I remember at beginning of march checking the oil pan (which was dry because i emptied it for winter) and didnt see this stuff.
The white bits are flower parts

Thank You
Chris

http://postimg.org/image/67r444igz/

[buzzbee]

Could it be some sort of mold growing in your oil tray?

[ChrisT]

buzbee,

I thought that too. but have never seen mold like that.
Thanks for answering. Mold still is in my head as a possibility.

chris

[ChrisT]

It also is very dry and slides right out of the pan, not sticky.

chris

[Brother Dave]

could it be plastic chewed rope.

[G3farms]

Do you by chance use pine needles in your smoker?

[ChrisT]

g3farms,

yes i use pine needles.... I never thought about that.. they are all uniform diameter though and roughly the same length (about an inch, until they break - they are very fragile brittle, they are a little bit curly before breaking)

If it was  pine needles wouldnt there be some variations?

Chris

[ChrisT]

dave,

would bees bring in chewed plastic rope shavings?

Chris

[buzzbee]

I'm not sure what it is,but I think I'd go through the boxes and see if I could find the answer. It wouldn't set well with me until I knew all was okay inside.

[G3farms]

Burn some of it to see what kind of smell you get and what kind of ash, might shed a little more light on it.

[10framer]

it looks like burnt pine straw to me.

[Barry]

pine needles be a good guess but if you look at the pictures real close it looks like some of it is knotted together, don't believe burnt pine needles do that. some fabrics will, what can't  rightly say I know what it is

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[GSF]

I've been thinking fishnet.

[BeeMaster2]

That is strange. Let us know what it smells like when you burn it. Remove the wax flakes, they will change the smell.
Jim

[jayj200]

I believe this can not be burnt pine needles because

? have any of you been in a forest (woods) after a fire?

I have pine needles burn completely maybe a small white trail of white ash.

those of you who burn pine needles in the smokers know the remains is just dust.

try it-burn a few.
jay

[10framer]

I believe this can not be burnt pine needles because

? have any of you been in a forest (woods) after a fire?

I have pine needles burn completely maybe a small white trail of white ash.

those of you who burn pine needles in the smokers know the remains is just dust.

try it-burn a few.
jay

burn some in a smoker then dump it.  what you have left looks a lot like what's in the picture.

[10framer]

it actually looks a little like burnt spanish moss but i don't think it grows in the piedmont. 

[greenbtree]

Any possibility that a mouse might have snuck in and attempted to build a nest? Even if it got rousted by the bees, it might have brought in something to try to use as nesting material.  I also am interested in the burn test.

JC

[G3farms]

A mouse would have left droppings behind, did not see any.

Do you by chance use a bee brush with black bristles?

[ChrisT]

I really do appreciate everyone's input...

Barry kind of actually has a good grasp on its nature.. its very thin stuff.. kind of clumps together.. this pic was up close very up close. I do not think it is pine needles, unless its something like pine needle "dust" or something
10framer gotan idea of it too.. its kind of "mossy", again the pic was very up close

I checked for critters, none found.. and no, no dropping of any kind in this mess in the pan.
A critter "may" have tried to move in and decided not to. I would like to know what kind of critter could enter a hive and have time to build a nest before bees stung it to death.

Im afraid to burn it becuase i dont know what it is.
it would be hard to burn too.. kind of burning sweater fuzz or something (hard to relate it to anything)

i have attached another pic with a dime in it for reference although i had it in a ziploc bag and it keeps just breaking into smaller and smaller pices so the "fibers" (whatever they are) arent as long now. they were like an inch long (before i poured it all into a ziplock bag)