Daffodils!

[Bcrazy]

During the early spring when the aconites, crocus and daffodils are in bloom I have seen bees visiting all types of flora except for daffodils.

I have never seen a Honey bee obtaining pollen or nectar from a daffodil.

Has anyone else observed this?

Regards;

 

[Poly Hive]

There is no benefit to bees from daffs.

It's a common question and in my old area daffs were produced for the bulb and cut flower market and the answer was and is as above.

PH

 

[Bcrazy]

I should have added that there is a good reason why bees do not go near daffodils.

Daffodils are toxic.
However, I have seen bees working the Jimpson weed with no apparent effects.
This may help:
http://www.herbdatanz.com/narcissus_..._monograph.htm

1. USD 1926 Part 2.
Narcissus. Narcissus Pseudo-narcissus L. Daffodil. Trumpet Daffodil. Narcisse des pres, Porillon, Fr. Gelbe Narcisse, G. (Fam. Amaryllidaceae.)

Both the bulb and the flowers of this common and widely cultivated popular European garden plant have been used in medicine. The bulb is tunicated and averages one and one-half to two inches in diameter. The flowers are about two inches long, pale yellow, the corona crenate to somewhat crenate-fimbriate, the six stamens inserted near the base of the perianth and much shorter than the corona. The flowers have a feeble peculiar odor, and both have a bitter mucilaginous taste. They are an uncertain emetic. It is probable that the flowers of the wild European plant are more powerful than those of the cultivated. Gerrard found in 1877 in these bulbs a crystalline neutral principle and an alkaloid narcissine (pseudonarcissine). This base, which occurs in a number of the Amaryllidaceae, has been shown by Asahina and Sugii (A. Pharm., 1913, ccli, 357) to be identical with lycorine, C18H17O4N, found by Morishima (A. E. P. P., 1897, xl). It crystallizes in colorless prisms with a melting point of 270? C. According to Kuiger, the alkaloid obtained by Gerrard from the bulb of the flowering plant dries the mouth, checks perspiration, dilates the pupil, especially when applied locally, quickens the pulse, and acts on the heart of the frog antagonistically to muscarine and pilocarpine, while the alkaloid taken from the bulb after flowering causes salivation and perspiration, internally taken contracts the pupil, and topically applied dilates it slightly. (J. P., i, 436.) In France, narcissus flowers have been used as an antispasmodic
Regards,
Ernie
Lucas Apiaries

Regards;