On Sun, 19 Mar 2006 20:50:49 GMT, "Jim Carlock"
wrote:

"Penelope Periwinkle" wrote:


Perhaps there's a difference in the different types of basil? I've
planted purple, lemon and sweet basil at the same time last year
and its hard to really differentiate which basil provided the benefits.

Someone gave me a gift pack of basil from Cook's Garden last
year. I had about 8 kinds of basil growing in the yard, and I
think, what with the lemon and Italian types answering the call
of the wild, that I had more basil than you. Basil *loves* this
yard. I mean, it really, really, really loves this yard. It comes
up everywhere. The bumble bees and skippers love the basil, too,
so I find it hard to believe it has much insect repellant
activity.

I use the basil a lot, so my hands and arms often smell of basil,
and I still get bitten by mosquitoes, so I still think you
mistaken about the basil.

Other things noted from this book:

The book identifies garlic-based oil as effective in killing mosquito
larva in ponds (as does derris root and tuba).

There's a company that sells a garlic spray for the yard. They
say it smells bad for a short time, but it keeps the mosquitoes
away for...um, I can't remember. I never tried it because I was
afraid it would keep other insects away, too. I enjoy the
butterflies, ladybugs and such too much to risk repelling them.

"The leaves of molasses grass and sassafras are mosquito repellents."

I played with the sassafras plants in the woods around my
parents' house as a child, and I don't think it does much good as
a mosquito repellant. It's the roots that have that spicy scent.


Penelope

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