mosquito repellants
One of the gardening groups I belong to has been discussing natural mosquito repellants recently. We can't go outside here for more than a few minutes without being attacked, and I have never liked putting the commercial stuff on my skin, so this is a topic of some interest to me.
Many of the natural repellants sold in stores use ingredients like pennyroyal that I don't grow, but one member of the group makes her own repellant by infusing horsemint in olive oil. Horsemint is a type of monarda with a citronella type scent. It is a common wildflower in this area of Texas and I have some in the garden. She puts the leaves and flowers in a saucepan and covers it with olive oil and gently heats it, then lets it sit overnight before straining. She claims it works great.
My own remedy is simpler. We have a couple of large rosemary plants, one near the front entrance and another out back. When I am outside and the mosquitos start to bother me I simply break off a branch of rosemary and rub the oil from the leaves all over my face and arms. The leaves practically ooze oil after sitting in the sun so a small branch will go a long way. It really works for me and it's so handy, not to mention being free. Another plus is that the fragrance is nice by itself.
Posted by Bill Hopkins on July 22, 2004 09:06 PMDoes that really work? I'll have to try it. I keep a spritzer of Off by the back door, though I don't like the chemical stuff much either. I had pretty good results from the Burt's Bee's repellant last week on the pond tour, but that was in the morning. What's worse for me is that I seem particularly sensitive to the bites -- I get scars all over my arms and legs!
Posted by: Martha at July 23, 2004 10:37 AMIt seems to work for me, but mosquitoes don't seem to like me as much as they like some people anyway. The active ingredients in Burt's Bees are lemon grass, citronella and rosemary.
Some people say that eating garlic repels mosquitoes also.
Posted by: bill at July 23, 2004 02:13 PMWhat a great tip! Are you sure you don't smell like a marinade though? *chuckle*
Avon's Skin-so-Soft lotion is a great repellant as well, for mosquitoes and husbands. Carl hates the stuff.
Posted by: Leslie at July 23, 2004 06:03 PMI am jealous that you have rosemary in such abundance that you can afford to spare it for a mosquito remedy. Rosemary is a pot plant for me that I try to nurse through the winter indoors, not always successfully. During the summer I am trimming it quite regularly for cooking, and there's not enough leftover for mosquito repellant.
Posted by: kathy at July 24, 2004 04:24 PMCareful with the pennyroyal. It is absorbed through the skin, and is a known abortificant.
Women who are trying to get pregnant should stay far away from the stuff.
Posted by: jenn at July 27, 2004 01:48 PMThanks for the tip - my rosemary isn't huge but it may be able to sacrifice a few branches. If it works, I do have a bare spot in the flower bed where I could plant another one...
Posted by: cybertoad at July 30, 2004 01:33 PMInteresting tips. Rosemary huh? Someone told me today that marigolds in areas you want mosquito free are awesome too. I believe the comment that went with that was "What brings in the good bugs [lady bugs, praying mantis, etc.] keeps away the bad
Posted by: Miranda at August 11, 2004 03:12 AMI asked my allergist for tips this week and he suggested taking B1 tablets daily in the summer. He said it worked for him on a trip to the rain forest--no bites at all!
Posted by: Martha at August 11, 2004 09:11 AM