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Natural
Mosquito Repellent |
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Grow Your Own:
Some gardeners keep scented geraniums on their patios and report that
swishing their hands through the leaves makes it possible to enjoy being
outdoors without suffering mosquito bites.
Art Tucker, research
professor at Delaware State University and co-author of the
Big
Book of Herbs , confirms that
rose-scented geraniums (Pelargonium x asperum, sometimes sold as P. graveolens)
contain both citronellol, which is similar to citronellal, and geraniol. But,
he says, the widely promoted 'Citrosa' geranium, which is the so-called
"Mosquito Plant," appears to contain only small amounts of citronellal and is
not likely to be any more effective as a mosquito repellent than other rose
geraniums.
A better, less expensive choice for a homegrown mosquito
repellent may be lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). Tucker says lemon balm is
easy to grow from seeds and contains citronellal, geraniol and geranial.
Although lemon balm oil (called melissa oil) is hard to find commercially, a
strain of lemon balm plants with higher essential oil content now is sold by
some nurseries.
To use the balm as a repellent, just crush a handful of
the delicious-smelling leaves in your hand and rub them on exposed skin.
Tucker's herbal repellent (see
recipe), can be mixed up at home, too. He says his daughter reported
success with it, especially against ticks, when she was a ropes instructor at a
camp on Chesapeake Bay. She included myrrh.
Another good dooryard
repellent plant could be catnip. The American Chemical Society has reported
that researchers Chris Peterson and Joel Coats at Iowa State University found
nepetalactone, the essential oil in catnip (Nepeta cataria), to be about 10
times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET
(N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide), the widely used synthetic repellent.
And James A. Duke, an authority on herbal healing and author of
The
Green Pharmacy , reports mountain mint
(Pycnanthemum muticum) contains enough pulegone, another powerful insect
repellent, to make it somewhat effective, too. (A note of warning: Do not use
mountain mint if you are pregnant; the ingredient pulegone has been known to
increase the risk of miscarriage.)
Gardeners also report anecdotally
that handfuls of basil (Ocimum basilicum); lemon thyme (Thymus x citriodorus);
lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), which is citronella's kissing cousin; and
various other fragrant herbs crushed and rubbed on the skin often repel
mosquitoes for short periods - usually less than 30 minutes. (Always use any
herb with caution until you know how your skin will react.)
Source:
Mother Earth News
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