Lemongrass is used for many purposes, including as a bug repellent. I began exploring the idea that lemongrass essential oil may attract bees because many do it yourself (DIY) bug repellents list it as an ingredient.

lemongrass bee myth

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As a gardener, I have lemongrass growing in a couple of locations, but I have never really noticed bees flying around the actual plant. I also enjoy using lemongrass in the kitchen, it is delicious in a tea.

Lemongrass is part of the grass family Poaceae, there are multiple varieties, but if you are working with the essential oil it is likely Cymbopogon flexuosus. The grass grows in upright dense bunches that thrive in moist warm climates.

There have been some studies suggesting that it may help keep the mosquitoes away. Although the studies conducted are with commercial preparations. This makes it hard to determine if the actual grass works.

I think it is a great addition to a garden. I have plenty of pollinators including bees visit my yard and have never seen them near the lemongrass. During my research I saw claims of people seeing bees near theirs though. Lemongrass is a grass though and doesn’t have a flower that would attract a bee.

Does it Attract Bees?

This got me wondering about the claim that lemongrass essential oil will attract bees. After hours scouring through books, blog posts and research articles to find out why this vague rumor may have gotten started. Here is what I have come up with:

Lemongrass
  1. When beekeepers are trying to attract a swarm, they use a “swarm trap” that mimics the Queen bee’s pheromones.
  2. The pheromones that attract a swarm are believed to be like citral and geranial. (I couldn’t find anything conclusive, but these two chemicals are mentioned often). These two chemicals are high in lemongrass essential oil.
  3. In an internet search of “lemongrass oil to attract bees” you will get over 76 thousand hits so there might be some truth to lemongrass attracting bees.
  4. Most blogs by beekeepers mention trying lemongrass oil but later followed up with a statement that it didn’t work.
  5. Essential oils including lemongrass have been useful in helping beekeepers with pest issues including varroa mites.

DIY bug spray

Every time someone on social media mentions using lemongrass essential oil in a DIY bug spray it is always followed by two comments.

  1. Use lemongrass with caution.
  2. Lemongrass attracts bees.

To quickly address the first one. Yes, you need to use lemongrass with caution, it has been shown to be a skin sensitizer. You can read more about this in my article about lemongrass.

One of the sources I trust is Robert Tisserand’s institute. This is his advice for repelling mosquitoes which does include a version with lemongrass essential oil: http://tisserandinstitute.org/learn-more/mosquito-repellents/

So, my conclusion is that lemongrass does contain the chemical citral, so it may attract bees. I believe that there is a combination of reasons it may work as a swarm trap, including that it is generally combined with beeswax. There are several essential oils that contain citral and geranial. The likelihood that you will be swarmed by bees due to using lemongrass or any essential oil is low.

If you need to keep any of the biting bugs away learn more in this article about Fleas, Ticks and Mosquitoes. If you are looking to attract bees to a garden you can explore more options in my Vibrant Garden article. Have other questions please comment below.

*2019 I have had several readers comment that they have noticed an increase in bees when lemongrass is used. There are several products on the market for repelling mosquitoes like incense sticks that you can try. I enjoy hearing your experiences as we continue to learn.

References:
The Backyard Beekeeper 3rd Edition – by Kim Flottum

https://sciencing.com/make-honey-bee-pheromones-7555977.html

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