# Lemongrass Oil



## knoxjk (Sep 10, 2010)

What's the best source for lemongrass oil?


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## Merlyn Votaw (Jun 23, 2008)

I have been told that LEMONGRASS oil is good to make a bee lure but sure how it is made.Would someone please fill me in?


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## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

I buy LG oil at a health food store and put 2 or 3 drops on the top bars of a swarm trap.


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## scdw43 (Aug 14, 2008)

Try Ebay.


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

www.wfmed.com

They have free shipping on many oils. Scroll down and check on the left side of their web page.


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## collins.bee.feeder (Jun 17, 2010)

You can get many of your oils at a local health food store as previously mentioned or apothecary shop.

*MAKE sure *you get the oils (spearmint, lemongrass, wintergreen) and not extracts found at the grocery stores.

Lemongrass is great for use as a lure sent. I will post a video here shortly that I filmed this past year. It is one of my hives that swarmed high high up in a tree and I set up a hive with some empty drawn comb and placed a bit of honey inside. Then I sprinkled some lemongrass oil inside as well as on the front landing board. It works like a charm every time... and I have done this a lot!


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## honeybeekeeper (Mar 3, 2010)

I would only buy any natural oils from a health food store and make sure its steam distilled! Do not buy it online cause i have read that alot of oils being sold online have been diluted. Lemongrass oil simply comes from lemongrass which is a fast-growing perennial grass. Lemongrass is also used to help bring down fevers and treat infectious illnesses...etc 

*Steam Distillation of Lemongrass Oil*
http://spot.pcc.edu/~chandy/241/steamdistillationnew.pdf


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

BeeCurious said:


> www.wfmed.com
> 
> They have free shipping on many oils. Scroll down and check on the left side of their web page.



$6.99 for one ounce of lemongrass oil with free shipping is hard to beat...

http://wfmed.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=928


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Glorybee, Eugene Or.


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## wildbeekeeper (Jul 3, 2010)

i ordered mine from WFMED...good price and very easy to deal with...they shipped quick as well!!


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## isensiman (May 18, 2010)

collins.bee.feeder said:


> You can get many of your oils at a local health food store as previously mentioned or apothecary shop.
> 
> *MAKE sure *you get the oils (spearmint, lemongrass, wintergreen) and not extracts found at the grocery stores.
> 
> Lemongrass is great for use as a lure sent. I will post a video here shortly that I filmed this past year. It is one of my hives that swarmed high high up in a tree and I set up a hive with some empty drawn comb and placed a bit of honey inside. Then I sprinkled some lemongrass oil inside as well as on the front landing board. It works like a charm every time... and I have done this a lot!


I am fortunate to have the plant growing pretty close to my bee yard,it has proven itself in swarm retrieval time and again.My approach though is to pick a few leaves rub together in the palm then rub the inside of the hive body to be used for the retrieval.If you are not sure of the oils available for purchase i suggest you try get the plant it is extremely easy to propagate,hope it can grow in your area.


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## Alf57 (Feb 24, 2009)

Check Camden Grey http://www.camdengrey.com/. Best prices I have found.

Al


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## Rex Piscator (Oct 12, 2010)

I, as well, have a small shrub of this plant in my garden! Thanks...was wondering about using the dead plant matter for smoker fuel? Anything 'bad' about this idea?

So, with swarm control and this plant....will swarms be drawn to this shrub in my garden...haven't really noticed any extra bees visiting/near this plant....


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## Tomas (Jun 10, 2005)

I agree with isensiman about the value of having lemon grass growing in the bee yard or the back yard. I use it in two ways to bait my trap hives. Sometimes I will make a really strong tea out of it--a big fistful chopped up a bit and put into a pot with about two cups of water. The tea comes out brown and I paint the trap hive boxes with it. (People also use it to make a tea to drink--but with only one or two blades. Then it comes out a nice yellow).

Other wise I will grab some fresh blades and rub it on the boxes real well--actually trying to make some parts of the wood green.

I haven't notice swarms actually be attacted to the live plant. It's the smell that attracts them after rubbing it on the box. I have never attempted to use it in the smoker. I'll try some dried grass mixed in with my regular fuel (wood chips from the carpentry shop) next time to see if it makes a difference.

If you can find live plants, I think you could overwinter it inside a house if it's planted in a big enough pot.

In the States, I just picked up some at the local health food store. They actually didn't have any on hand but special ordered some for me and still sold it to me for a reasonable price.

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Tom


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## isensiman (May 18, 2010)

Rex Piscator said:


> I, as well, have a small shrub of this plant in my garden! Thanks...was wondering about using the dead plant matter for smoker fuel? Anything 'bad' about this idea?
> 
> So, with swarm control and this plant....will swarms be drawn to this shrub in my garden...haven't really noticed any extra bees visiting/near this plant....


Hi Rex the swarms will not be drawn to the plant because the scent is not as prominent if the plants leaves are not been disturbed, as to its use as a smoker fuel, i tried it once while doing hive inspections and noticed my smoker needed fuel the plant was pretty close by so i took up a hand full of the dry lemon grass to re fuel only to have to remove it from my smoker because of the amount of bees that got attracted to me.

As already said it makes an excellent tea just two leave with some honey is divine whether served hot or cold.

I also boil large amount and add to my sugar water mixture during feeding with great results.


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## beekuk (Dec 31, 2008)

*I also boil large amount and add to my sugar water mixture during feeding with great results. *

Would you please elaborate on this.....great results for what?


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## isensiman (May 18, 2010)

Well i really think the bees take up the mixture much more quickly.


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## Tomas (Jun 10, 2005)

Here´s a picture of lemon grass. This is a friend of mine. We have an apiary together on his coffee farm. We planted about 30 feet of this so we always have plenty on hand.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s313/Tomas_fotos/lemongrass.jpg

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Tom


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## isensiman (May 18, 2010)

Beautiful pic Tomas in my neck of the woods it is also called "fever grass" because of the therapeutic effect it has on a fever.This just a wonderful plant.


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## beekuk (Dec 31, 2008)

Thank you for your reply Isensiman,thought maybe it had something to do with nosema.

Tomas......some nice pictures in you album...good to see that there are a lot of young people interested in beekeeping in one of them.


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