I found this very interesting. It seems to be a solution to a problem that doesn't cost an arm and a leg

FARM GIRL IN TRAINING

Dealing With Mosquitoes Naturally

5/29/2014 3:23:00 PM

By Michelle R.

As a ninth-generation Floridian, it is safe to say that I am no stranger to insects. Growing up I often heard people joke that the mosquito should actually be listed as our state bird. As amusing as that may seem, these little bugs are more than just annoying, they can also be very hazardous to people and animals.

Mosquitoes can carry West Nile Virus, which can cause inflammation of the brain, and has been known to be fatal in some cases. There is no vaccine for the West Nile Virus, and although mosquito control does what they can, it is up to the individual to take protective measures to avoid being bitten. Mosquitoes have also been known to carrymalaria, which kills an estimated 1 million people each year worldwide. If that wasn’t enough to be concerned about, we also need to worry about our animal friends. Heartworm larvae is transmitted by mosquitoes, and as most animal lovers know, if left untreated, heartworms can clog up the heart, causing cardiovascular problems and death. For years I (along with the rest of my family) have used repellents containing DEET thinking there was no alternative. After doing some research, I learned that DEET, aka N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide, damaged DNA in both laboratory animals and human cells. This study even shows that baby chicks exposed to DEET developed birth defects. Needless to say, I decided there had to be a more environmentally friendly way to protect ourselves and our pets.

Citronella is the most common natural ingredient used in making mosquito repellents. The unique citronella aroma is a strong smell, which masks other things that would normally attract mosquitoes, making it harder for them to find what they are wanting to sting. Even though citronella is used in many forms, the living plant is more successful in keeping them away because it has a stronger smell. When purchasing citronella, look for the true varieties, Cybopogon nardus or Citronella winterianus. Other plants may be sold as ‘citronella scented,’ but these do not have the mosquito repelling qualities of true citronella. 

 Marigolds are hardy annual plants with a distinctive smell that mosquitoes (and some people, myself included), find very aggressive. Marigolds contain Pyrethrum, a compound that is used in many insect repellents as an alternative to DEET. Besides repelling mosquitoes, marigolds also repel insects that target tomato plants.

 In August 2010, entomologists at Iowa State University reported to the American Chemical Society that catnip is 10 times more effective than DEET, the chemical found in most commercial insect repellents. According to Iowa State researcher Chris Peterson, the reason for its effectiveness is still unknown. “It might simply be acting as an irritant or they don’t like the smell. But nobody really knows why insect repellents work.” Beware though, by using this to repel mosquitoes, you may also be inviting every stray cat in the neighborhood into your yard.

  Horsemint, also known as Beebalm, is an easy-going perennial plant that repels mosquitoes somewhat like citronella. It gives off a strong incense-like odor that confuses mosquitoes by masking the smell of its usual victims. As a bonus, Horsemint leaves can be dried and used to make herbal tea, and its flowers also attract bees and butterflies to your garden.

 Ageratum, also known as Flossflowers, releases a smell that mosquitos find extremely offensive. The flower and leaves produce coumarin, which is widely used in commercial mosquito repellents.

Now, of course, there are times where you cannot control your environment and you need to use a spray. Never fear I have a homemade natural bug spray recipe that you will wonder how you ever lived without!

What you will need:

– Essential oils: choose from Citronella, Clove, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Cedar, Catnip, Lavender, Mint

– Natural witch hazel

– Distilled or boiled water

Fill 8-ounce spray bottle half full with distilled or boiled water, add witch hazel and fill almost to the top. Add 30 to 50 drops of essential oils to desired scent. The more oils you use, the stronger the spray will be. Play around with the scents to make one that works for your nose.

For those non-DEA readers, Sheriff Joe is a former DEA agent. Like him or not, He gets the job done!!! SHERIFF JOE IS AT IT AGAIN ! You may remember Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona, who painted the jail cells pink and made the inmates wear pink prison garb. Well......... SHERIFF JOE IS AT IT AGAIN !   Oh, there's MUCH more to know about Sheriff Joe !   Maricopa County was spending approx. $18 million dollars a year on stray animals, like cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over, and the County Supervisors said okay.   The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior. They give great classes for anyone who'd like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows. The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million. Teresa and I adopted a Weimaraner from a Maricopa County shelter two years ago. He was neutered and current on all shots, in great health, and even had a microchip inserted the day we got him. Cost us $78.   The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free, just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals.   I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at the way he runs the jail system and copy some of his ideas. He has a huge farm, donated to the county years ago, where inmates can work, and they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the work and harvesting by hand.   He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which provides meat and fertilizer. It fertilizes the Chris tmas tree nursery, where prisoners work, and you can buy a living Chris tmas tree for $6 - $8 for the holidays and plant it later. We have six trees in our yard from the prison.   Yup, he was re-elected last year with 83% of the vote. Now he's in trouble with the ACLU again. He painted all his buses and vehicles with a mural that has a special hotline phone number    painted on it, where you can call and report suspected illegal aliens. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement wasn't doing enough in his eyes, so he had 40 deputies trained specifically for enforcing immigration laws, started up his hotline, and bought 4 new buses just for hauling folks back to the border. He's kind of a 'Git-R-Dun' kind of Sheriff.   TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO..   HE IS THE MARICOPA ARIZONA COUNTY SHERIFF   AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER. THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY:   Sheriff Joe Arpaio (in Arizona) who created the 'Tent City Jail': ** He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them.   ** He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jail. ** Took away their weights. ** Cut off all but 'G' movies. ** He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects. ** Then he started chain gangs for women so he wouldn't get sued for discrimination.   ** He took away cable TV until he found out there was a federal court order that required cable TV for jails, so he hooked up the cable TV again.....BUT only let in the Disney channel and the Weather channel.   ** When asked why the weather channel, he replied, "So they will know how hot it's gonna be while they are working on my chain gangs."   ** He cut off coffee since it has zero nutritional value.   ** When the inmates complained, he told them, "This isn't The Ritz/Carlton...... If you don't like it, don't come back."  More On The Arizona Sheriff:   With temperatures being even hotter than usual in Phoenix (116 degrees just set a new record), the Associated Press reports: About 2,000 inmates living in a barbed-wire-surrounded tent encampment at the Maricopa County jail have been given permission to strip down to their government-issued pink boxer shorts.   On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reached 138 degrees inside the week before.   Many were also swathed in wet, pink towels as sweat collected on their chests and dripped down to their PINK SOCKS.   "It feels like we are in a furnace," said James Zanzot, an inmate who has lived in the TENTS for 1 year. "It's inhumane."   Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink and eat bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic. He said Wednesday that he told all of the inmates, "It's 120 degrees in Iraq and our soldiers are living in tents too, and they have to wear full battle gear, but they didn't commit any crimes, so shut your mouths!"   Way to go, Sheriff !   Maybe if all prisons were like this one there would be a lot less crime and/or repeat offenders. Criminals should be punished for their crimes - not live in luxury until it's time for their parole, only to go out and commit another crime so they can get back in to live on taxpayers' money and enjoy things taxpayers can't afford to have for themselves.