Hie Plantsman 



How About Herbs 



Repelling Insects the Natural Way 



Here in New England, after a 

 long winter, the warmth and 

 hunnidity of early spring makes 

 us feel rejuvenated and tends 



to put some pep in our step. 



Sadly enough, It is also a wake up 

 call for those pesky mosquitoes. We 

 may be anxious to get out there in our 

 gardens and woodlands, but each year 

 the preparation for trudging outdoors 

 seems to get more extensive. As we 

 tuck our pants In our socks to keep 

 those ticks from crawling up our legs, 

 we're thinking which Insect repellent 

 to rub or spray on. That last week in 

 May with black flies and mosquitoes 

 working together might even make 

 us include the netting of a bug baffler 

 for more protection. Oh, and don't 

 forget the sun block and hat to protect 

 against those harmful rays! Whew! I 

 sure hope you have enough energy 

 left to go plant those seedlings and 

 spread that compost. 



Lyme disease is scary enough, but 

 now that West Nile Virus is creeping 

 into our neck of the woods, we need 

 to be diligent in preventing those 

 annoying mosquito bites. You may 

 be one of those people that seem to 

 attract biting insects. It is a known 

 fact that some people are more prone 

 to mosquito bites than others. The 

 human body can exude more than 

 340 chemical scents. Mosquitoes find 

 some of these scents more enticing 

 than others and are also attracted to 

 the C02 and lactic acid from our 

 breath and skin. Even the scents from 

 some perfumes and shampoos can 

 attract them. The females are the 



biters, and use visual, thermal and 

 olfactory stimuli to search out their 

 next blood meal. 



Probably the most effective and most 

 popular insect repel lants are those 

 that contain Deet (N,N-diethyl-3- 

 methylbenzamlde). According to 

 a clinicians guide in the Annals of 

 Internal Medicine, the combination of 

 Deet and permethnn-treated clothing 

 can be nearly 100% effective against 

 insect bite. Permethrin Is a synthetic 

 chemical similar to the natural 

 pyrethrum that is derived from the 

 chrysanthemum plant. 



Most parents feel skeptical about 

 using chemical products on their 

 children and for good reason. The EPA 

 has approved Deet's use, but with 

 caution and sparingly. Studies show 

 that 1 5% of Deet applied to the skin is 

 absorbed through the blood stream. 



It might be wise to look into a natural 

 way to repel insects. Some botanicals 

 can be very effective in warding 

 off insects, but need to be applied 

 more often than the chemical insect 

 repellants. Oil of lemon eucalyptus, 

 a plant based repel lant, is registered 

 with the EPA and In recent studies it 

 provided protection similar to low 

 concentrations of Deet. 



A study from the New England Journal 

 of Medicine states that eucalyptus oil 

 is proven to be the most effective of 

 the natural repellants and has a 120.1 

 mm. protection time. Soybean oil 

 comes in at 94.6 minutes, citronella 

 20 mm. and Skin-So-Soft bath oil 9 6 



By Maddy Perron 



min. A product with 23.8%Deet can 

 last up to 301.5 min. 



Some repellants can be burned 

 in patio areas to ward off Insects. 

 Citronella candles are popular 

 here In the U.S. Burning Myrrh or 

 frankincense can be germicidal as 

 well as mosquito repelling. In Asia 

 and Africa, pyrethrum, is made into 

 coils and burned to provide up to 80% 

 protection. Goldenseal was used by the 

 Cherokees who pounded the rootstock 

 mixed with bear fat and smeared the 

 concoction on their bodies. 



Here are a few recipes that you might 

 like to try and experiment with. 

 Essential oils are very potent and 

 should not be used full strength on the 

 skin, as they will cause skin irritation. 



Catnip ( nepeta cataria ) contains 

 nepetalactone which was proven 

 to be 10 times more effective than 

 Deet at repelling mosquitoes. I'm not 

 sure what the staying power of this 

 natural replacement Is, so frequent re- 

 application may be necessary. Mix Itsp 

 olive oil with 2-5 drops of catnip oil. 



Yarrow( achillea millefolium) can be 

 made into repellant by harvesting the 

 flower tops and packing into ajar, then 

 pouring vodka to cover. After 6 weeks, 

 strain and put into a spray bottle. 



Basil leaves have repelling properties 

 also. Just pick one cup and infuse with 

 water, then strain and mix the liquid 

 with 4 oz. of vodka. Apply with a spray 

 bottle. 



April/May 2006 



19 



