Lethal effects of tea‐oil Camellia on honeybee larvae due to pollen toxicity

Toxicity tests on tea-oil Camellia flowers (Camellia oleifera) indicated that its pollen harmed honeybee larvae significantly more than pollen from oilseed rape (Brassica napus) flowers. The C. oleifera pollen contained high levels of the toxic triterpenoid theasaponin, which was undetectable in nectar.