The best magazine
- The odor of a citronella candle repels mosquitoes and masks your odor, along with your pet's odor, making it hard for mosquitoes to find a host to feed on. However, to ensure these candles are pet-safe, never leave a burning candle unattended or sitting on surfaces your pets can easily access. Flame from the burning candle could catch your pet's hair on fire, while eating the wax may poison your pet, cause intestinal problems and slow the central nervous system.
- Catnip is a pet-safe herb with a pleasant odor that is often used to fill cat toys. According to researchers at Iowa State University, catnip is reported to contain nepetalactone, an essential oil nearly 10 times more effective than the synthetic repellents containing DEFT (N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide). Grow this herb to protect your entire yard from mosquitoes, or rub fresh-cut leaves on your skin and your pet's fur or feathers for mosquito protection while you're on the go.
- Plants such as basil, lemon balm, lemongrass and lemon thyme contain traces of citronella and other mosquito-repelling essential oils that offer minimal protection against these parasitic insects. When crushed and rubbed on the skin, these herbs produce strong odors that mask the carbon dioxide and blood odors that attract mosquitoes to human and pet hosts. Unfortunately, these animal-friendly mosquito repellent herbs only work for short periods of 30 minutes of less, requiring additional applications to work effectively.
- The best method of protecting yourself and your pets from irritating mosquito bites is to limit your time outdoors in late evenings when mosquitoes usually swarm. You can also limit mosquito populations on your property by eliminating standing water that female mosquitoes lay their eggs in. This includes cleaning out and emptying horse troughs, birdbaths and water dishes available for outdoor pets.
Citronella Candles
Catnip
Fragrant Herbs
Considerations
Source: ...