Pollen grains of poisonous plants

Abstract

Nectars and pollen grains of poisonous plants contain various toxic ingredients. Bees generally do not visit these plants as long as there is a good supply of nectar and pollen from their usual forage plants. But every locality has a floral gap during the seasonal cycles when there is an acute shortage of normal nectars and pollcn grains. If a colony has not stored adequate food reserves to tide it over such adverse periods, starvation impels them to forage even on unpalatable poisonous plants.