Unlock the Truth: Does Lemongrass Attract Bees? 

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As the days grow warmer, honey bee swarm season is approaching! Honey bees reproduce in two ways. The first is normal reproduction through egg-laying and rearing new worker bees. The second way honeybees reproduce is to create new bee colonies. Attracting the swarm scouts, this natural process is a great way for beekeepers to grow their apiaries by catching a swarm of bees. Just like fishing, the right bait makes all the difference! What are the options to catch a swarm of bees, do you need chemicals, or does lemongrass attract bees naturally? 

What is Swarming?

Swarming is a natural process that allows bee colonies to reproduce. Each colony has a single queen who lays eggs to increase the number of bees within the colony.  A healthy queen can lay thousands of eggs a day.  Since worker bees have a relatively short lifespan, great numbers of bees are needed to ensure the survival of the hive. During the warm months of spring and summer when food is abundant, a healthy honeybee colony can grow immensely in size. When a bee colony outgrows its hive, the worker bees will prepare to swarm. When bees swarm, the queen bee and a portion of the worker bees will leave the hive in a massive exodus. However, a remnant of bees will remain behind. Swarming allows the bees to multiply the number of hives, creating two colonies from one that will grow independently. 

Swarming Objectives

Since the goal of a swarm is to split the colony, the worker bees will prepare the hive with two goals. The first goal is to ensure that the remaining bees survive. Each colony of bees needs a queen bee to continue the work of growing the number of bees. Swarm cells are special honeycomb cells used to rear a new queen. The worker bees usually prepare multiple swarm cells to ensure a new queen will be successful. When the bees swarm, the remaining bees will sense the loss of the queen when they no longer sense her pheromones. Within hours of her departure,  the loss of pheromones will trigger the bees to finish the work started in the swarm cells to produce a new queen.

The second goal is to locate a suitable location for a new home. Scout bees will search for a suitable place to relocate the hive. Beekeepers can create special catch boxes that appear to be the perfect location for a new home. 

Swarm Lures

Honeybees have an extraordinary sense of smell. Beekeepers use the sense of smell of scout bees to their advantage by attracting them to their swarm traps with a bee swarm lure. A swarm trap, or bait hive is a small beehive that usually contains a few frames of brood comb. Just a couple of drops of a good lure is the best way to ensure the scout bees will find your swarm trap.  

Swarm Commander is a popular swarm lure used by beekeepers. However, some beekeepers prefer a more natural approach. Lemongrass essential oil is a surprisingly good swarm lure. Just a few drops of lemongrass essential oil strategically placed on the swarm trap is all that is needed to attract bees. Some beekeepers also put a little bit of essential oil on the honeycomb itself. It’s important to use lemon grass sparingly inside the hive itself. 

How Does Lemongrass Essential Oil Attract Bees?

Honeybees release nasonov pheromone from the nasanov gland to orient forager bees to the hive location. Lemongrass oil mimics the scent of these pheromones which attracts scout bees looking to settle bee swarms, Once a scout bee finds a suitable location, she guides the swarm to the new hive. Should a beekeeper be lucky enough that the scout bees have chosen their swarm trap, the bees can be moved to a permanent location. 

Cautions Regarding Lemongrass Oil

Be cautious, a little goes a long way! The smell of the lemongrass oil in higher concentrations can have the reverse effect, actually repelling the bees. Think of it like a person wearing too much perfume or cologne. While a little smells amazing, too much makes you want to run away!  Some beekeepers use essential oils as part of their bee maintenance. Keep in mind, that the use of lemongrass oil in struggling hives can invite robber bees. Small hives may not be able to defend their resources from other colonies resulting in the crash of the hive. 

​Growing Your Apiary

The use of lemongrass essential oil is a more natural approach to attracting bees to swarm traps. Many beekeepers use a variety of swarm lures to ensure a higher success rate. Just like the old adage “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”, a diversified approach to catching swarms is always a good strategy to ensure success in attracting these beneficial insects to your homestead.