04/28/2019 – Researchers report that nepetalactone, the essential oil in catnip that gives the plant its characteristic odor, is about ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET — the compound used in most commercial insect repellents.
The finding was reported at a meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, by the same Iowa State University research group that discovered that catnip also repels cockroaches.
While they used the yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) — one of several species of mosquitoes found in the United States — they found that catnip should work against all types of mosquitoes.
After learning you could grow your own Catnip and hearing the benefits, we did a little research and found it to be true.
So, if you are prone to mosquito bites, you might give it a try in your outdoor living space this summer. (Though it might attract furry visitors)
Simon, the resident cat at Cornerstone Ace Hardware in Owasso checks out their Catnip plants. Though he is drawn to it, those pesky mosquitos should run the other direction.
