On Sun, 19 Mar 2006 03:00:01 GMT, "Jim Carlock"
wrote:

(1) Basil - I had a ton of basil planted last year and it seems helpful.

Ok, I have to take exception to this one. Basil loves this yard,
it sprouts up everywhere, just like a weed. I smell when I mow
the lawn, and I have to take a weed eater to the lemon basil
thickets that grow up behind the pepper garden. I'm 5' 8", and
that stuff reaches my chin if I let it run amok.

And I still have lots of mosquitoes.

(2) Rosemary - I've got a rosemary plant out back as well, both
neighbors however have ponds, running water.

I've never heard of using rosemary as a mosquito repellant. I
love the stuff, though, and have a couple of plants out front.

(3) Southernwood - I don't even know what this is at the moment
but if you've got some, it's reported to be effective against malaria
mosquitoes. I'm not a mosquito expert and this all comes from a
book written by Louise Riotte (1975 Garden Way Publishing).
(4) Wormwood - Again I'm not sure what this is, but perhaps you
know. This one, also, is reported to be helpful against "malaria"
mosquitoes.

These are both Artemesias, and are both considered to be herbs.
Artemisia is one of those genus that have about a gazillion
species and varieties that are used in horticulture.

Wormwood is _Artemisia absinthium_ and was used to flavor the
liqueur, absinthe. Now a days it's listed as too dangerous to
take internally.

I have Tangerine southernwood in the yard because it smells
divine. Southernwood is also known as Lad's Love, and it was
supposedly used in France to keep moths out of clothing.

Sweet Annie is another herbal Artemesia that is used for making
scented wreaths around here. It's an annual Artemesia, I think.

I really don't know that there is a plant that will repel
mosquitoes more than a few feet around it's perimeter. Keeping
potential breeding sites drained or full of mosquito dunks seems
like it would be more effective.

I see mosquitoes occasionally, however I'm not bothered too much
by them.

Have you ever been somewhere and the mosquitoes are just eating
one or two people in your group alive, but they're not bothering
you? I read an article not too long ago that said that mosquitoes
do seem to prefer some people over others. Maybe you're one of
those folks that mosquitoes don't like as much.


Penelope

--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"