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Earth Walker
August 29th, 2001, 12:30 PM
Catnip, which mysteriously creates euphoria in cats, is an
effective insect repellant.
The catnip oil, nepetalactone, can be used as a repellant for
bothersome pests such as mosquitoes and cockroaches.
Nepetalactone, which gives catnip its odour, is 10 times more
effective than the popular insect repellant diehyl-meta-toluamide
(DEET).
DEET is a chemical that some users find causes rashes, swelling
and eye irritation.
It might simply be an irritant, or they just don't like the smell.
Nepetalactone also repelled a common type of cockroach, so
it holds potential for repelling other household pests.
Catnip,an herbal plant of the mint family that is grown
commercially as well as in the wild, catnip's stimulating effect on
cats is unexplained.
Nine out of 10 cats respond to its smell. Some purr and rub up
against it, while others become drowsy.
Some people use the leaves in tea, as a folk treatment for fevers,
colds, cramps and migraines, as a meat tenderizer and to make
a yellow dye.

Jewlz
August 29th, 2001, 09:49 PM
wow! Thats really interesting. My cat loves it. He stats eating the stuff and licking it. I have some growing in my garden and just put some in the vege/herb garden. Do you think this will effect my garden pests? I wonder if it will stop the good bugs? I hope it stops the slugs and aphids! Thanks for sharing, Jewlz

Hope
August 29th, 2001, 11:38 PM
That is so cool!
Do you know if can you mix it with h2o or something and make a spray to spray on you clothes, legs etc.? If so what ratio?

blessings
hope

Earth Walker
August 30th, 2001, 09:44 AM
Check out this site. It may have the answers to your questions.

http://www.catnipcafe.com/aboutus.html

Earth Walker
August 30th, 2001, 10:42 AM
Originally posted by Hope
That is so cool!
Do you know if can you mix it with h2o or something and make a spray to spray on you clothes, legs etc.? If so what ratio?

blessings
hope

This is the best site I found that will answer your question:

http://www.new-agri.co.uk/00-2/focuson/focuson4.html

The following sites are also interesting.

http://www.essentiallyoils.com/Newsletters/August_2000_Newsletter/august_2000_newsletter.html

http://www.eartheasy.com/live_natpest_control.htm

http://www.naturesherbs.com/article1.html

Silver Venus
August 31st, 2001, 08:28 AM
Mystique they are great links! thanks so much :) Ive got two little kitties ~ Wolf and Tilly and they both love Catnip too!
I never thought it could be used for anything like horrible mosquito's! I will deffinatley try squirking them with natural catnip next time I see the nasty little flies!
:D