Is Lemongrass oil SAFE????

[Jerrymac]

I was looking at this site;

http://www.health-marketplace.com/Lemon-grass.htm

And this is there;

Lemon Grass Oil Properties - Analgestic, anti-depressant, antimicrobal, anti-oxidant, antipyretic, antiseptic, astringent, bactericidal, carminative, deodorant, febrifuge, fungicidal, galactagogue, insecticide, nervine, sedative (nervous), tonic.

Did you see that word "insecticide"?

[TwT]

this is what i found on useing lemon grass oil Jerry, most use it as a swarm attractant.


http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Beekeeping:_Guide_to_Essential_Oils

[Michael Bush]

You'll find similar properties for most essential oils.  If you feed straight lemongrass oil (or wintergreen or spearmint etc) to bees they will die.  But if you mix it with other things it's not a problem.  Same with exposure yourself.  Large amounts of essential oils can be dangerous.  Small amounts are not.

[drobbins]

In my first attempt at feeding wintergreen using a hive top feeder I mixed it too strong and man it ran them right out of the feeder. I wonder if it could be used with a fume board to clear em out of a super?

Dave

[Tomas]

I always use lemon grass on my swarm traps. It grows naturally down here and I make a real strong tea out of it and spray it on the outside of the boxes. It works like a charm. I've never seen detrimental effects on the bees. Sometimes bees come around to check it out while I'm brewing it.

Many people also make a tea out of it for themselves. Good stuff--a lemon grass tea with honey! I've never seen detrimental effects here either.

Straight lemon grass oil might be something else however.