by Jennifer Claerr

Created on: May 21, 2007

Mosquitoes, disease carrying pests, can adversely affect your health. So it's imperative to get rid of them in any way you can. Unfortunately, DEET, the primary mosquito repellent currently on the market, is a very dangerous chemical that has been associated with brain-cell death. The chemical is particularly dangerous to children.

There has been a lot of talk in recent years about mosquito repelling plants. On particular plant, called "Citrosa", has received some press in the last fifteen years.

Unfortunately, this plant, which is a combination of geranium and citronella grass, did not perform well in tests. (Citronella grass is the source of the infamous citronella oil which is well known to repel mosquitoes.)

Lemon thyme seemed to perform better, and was also cheaper to produce. Catnip, on the other hand, was ten times more effective than DEET at repelling these nasty pests. Also, planting marigolds in your garden seems to help.

However, planting mosquito repellent plants is ultimately not going to solve the whole problem of disease-breeding mosquitoes. It's important to use other measures.

First, be aware of where mosquitoes breed. Something as simple as a tire swing or an empty garbage can, an overturned garbage can lid, or a hole where water tends to collect can serve as a breeding ground. So when you see shallow water like this, get rid of it.

Also, one of the best mosquito prevention methods is to build a purple martin house. Purple martins are famous for eating mosquitoes, and they can be practical miracle workers in eliminating this extreme and potentially deadly nuisance.

Next, use citronella candles placed strategically around the area where you plan to recreate. Burning the candle increases the scent of the highly concentrated essential oil, increasing the repellent effect.

Use all of the measures above, and you should be able to enjoy a mosquito-free summer.

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