We have both California and Asian poppies growing in this area, and,
last season, I noted the bees worked the Asian poppies with great
enthusiasm. Do you have any knowledge whether the Asian poppy has any of
the ill effects as the opium poppy has? I collected a great amount of
seed intending to plant this flower widely widely this spring.

Keith B. Forsyth wrote:

> Jane Ramsay, Plants for Beekeeping in Canada and the northern USA... (1987,
> p.78), indicates that hazelnut pollen is poor in protein content. She also
> notes on p.58 that although bees are highly attracted to poppy pollen, it
> may have a narcotic effect on the bees, with opium poppy being the cause of
> serious mortality of foraging bees.
> Grimsby, Ontario