>To: plant-ed at net.bio.net>From: jeffrau at aol.com (JeffRau)
>Subject: Mosquito plant?
>Date: 13 Mar 1997 15:41:22 GMT
>>I have heard that there is a plant which repells mosquitos with its
>smell.
> Does anyone know:
>If such a plant exists?
>If so what is it called?
>Does the oder also repell humans?
>Maybe you have some other interesting information on the subject.
>>Thank you
>Jeff Rau
>JeffRau at aol.com>I saw a plant advertised in the Michigan Bulb catalog as a miracle plant
that was "proven to repel mosquitos". On closer inspection, the picture
accompanying the fantastic claims was of a scented geranium. I have
lots of these, and I still have lots of mosquitos, so I can't say much
for it if this is the plant in question. Maybe you're suppossed to rub
it all over!
In that vein, I have heard many people say that rubbing themselves with
lemon balm, a member of the mint family, seems to repel mosquitos.
Since lemon balm is called that because it smells lemony and may have
citronella or a related compound, this doesn't seem so far fetched to
me. for anecdotal evidence, see "Organic Gardening" February or March
issue. Since this is the gardening magazine with the largest
subscription in the country, this may be where the idea originated.
Julia Frugoli
Dartmouth College
visiting grad student at
Texas A&M University
Department of Biological Sciences
College Station, TX 77843
409-845-0663
FAX 409-847-8805
"Evil is best defined as militant ignorance."
Dr. M. Scott Peck
