Welcoming bee into a new home using lemongrass essential oil

I am new to beekeeping and I have read a lot on keeping bees. I own and have read Paul Wheaton's book "Building a Better World in your Backyard" specifically chapter 28. I also read a few years ago about using lemongrass essential oil to attract bees to a new hive. My thought is to use a few drops in the hive or around the area so a swam of bees would make my hive there home.  Has anyone done this and does it work? Any ideas on how to use the essential oil in attracting bees?

I've used lemongrass oil before. can't say whether it helped. I think I would go with hive debris or some used top bars over the oil, but I know some folks swear by it. queen pheromone lures are also an option, and not terribly expensive. I'm not sure how the commercial version is made, but plenty of beekeepers make their own by dropping queens into a vial of ethanol. all of these lures should be compatible with the others, though I'm not sure whether combining them will improve your odds or not. at the very least, it shouldn't hurt your odds unless you go way overboard with one of the lures.

when they work, bait hives are really great, but my success rate hasn't been very high. low effort, though, so it makes sense to put as many out as you can build and keep track of.

in my experience, the most reliable way to get a swarm in a box is to put it there myself. or on a ramp leading into the box, at least. do it in the late afternoon and they're unlikely to take off again before dark. once they've spent a night, they don't often decide to abscond.

if you do use lemongrass, melting some into a lump of beeswax can make a lure that lasts longer than just dripping it into the hive. I've also heard that the species of lemongrass you choose could be important.

Lemon grass is very very easy to overdo as well. It only needs a tiny amount.

There are lots of write ups online of using it. It does work, if done properly.

tel jetson wrote: if you do use lemongrass, melting some into a lump of beeswax can make a lure that lasts longer than just dripping it into the hive. I've also heard that the species of lemongrass you choose could be important.

I am thinking one drop in a few ounces of bees wax. Then maybe using it inside the hive. I have also read that the species is important. I have cymbopogon flexuosus essential oil I do not know if the oil will work but I will try it.

FYI there’s a product called “swarm commander”. It is available from Amazon and their site. I haven’t used it myself yet but there are videos from people who have, on YouTube. It’s a bit more expensive than lemongrass oil, though...

Vanessa Alarcon wrote:FYI there’s a product called “swarm commander”. It is available from Amazon and their site. I haven’t used it myself yet but there are videos from people who have, on YouTube. It’s a bit more expensive than lemongrass oil, though...

I was rereading your post the other day and bought a bottle of swarm commander. Is does have a lemon like smell to it. I will see if it works and will try to post about if it works or not.

I, too, am new to the hobby of beekeeping. I was thinking of going the lemongrass route to create a more welcoming environment. I actually want to try and attract a swarm into a swarm trap. I try to be a purist when I look into something new to honor the origins of the craft. Or to put it another way, I take the hard road. There are things to be learned no matter how you begin. I would love to find an US source for Queen attractant as it all seems to originate from China.

I think the idea with "queen attractants" is to lure the scout bees not the queens themselves.

Apple for trying to use local sources!!!