CATNIP MAKES A GREAT MOSQUITO REPELLENT

CATNIP MAKES A GREAT MOSQUITO REPELLENT

AMES, Iowa (Wireless Flash) – Mee-yow! Scientists at Iowa State University have discovered plain old catnip is more effective at repelling mosquitos than most over-the-counter bug repellents. Bug experts compared the essential oil in catnip with DEET – the main ingredient in most commercial insect repellents – and found catnip was 10 times more effective at shooing away mosquitos. The news is the cat’s meow for folks who manufacture catnip, such as catnip king Leon Seidman, who grows the stuff and sells it under the “Cosmic Pet” brand name. He says he’s known about catnip’s bug-busting qualities for years, and even uses it to repel bugs from his garden. However, Seidman says it’s unlikely anyone will create a catnip concoction for repelling bugs because concentrated catnip has an unpleasant odor that most humans wouldn’t want to wear.

Tue 08-28-01