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Re: citronella, Citrosa plant, mosquitos

Hi Gang,
 You can get the Citrosa (mosquito) plant at any Lowes or Walmart. Probably
Kmart and others too. It's $3.97 for a four/five inch pot. I buy new ones
every year because it smells too bad to live with in the house all winter.
It has a pleasant initial scent, but nasty overtones. (God, sounds like I'm
describing a fine wine.)

 It's a waste of time if you expect to just set it outside and be mosquito
free. I've heard claims mentioned that it will keep a 10 ft square area
mosquito free. Not likely!
 In order for it to work, I pinch off a decent sized leaf. I rub it on the
back of my shirt collar and up and down my arms and maybe on my bare legs. I
usually wear pocket t's and shorts. I keep the crumbled leaf in the t-shirt
pocket, and might reapply it in an hour or two.
 The scent from the crushed leaf is what does the job. I might get bit once
or twice in the course of an hour or two outside in the evening. We live in
a lowlands/wet area. The mosquitos will hover around me a few inches away,
but none try to land on me.

 Keep in mind I'm not allergic to anything except poison ivy! I've never had
a reaction from this plant, but it may not be all that healthy to be rubbing
it on my bare skin.
 My wife will come outside and complain about the mosquitos, I'll come at
her with a leaf, she'll yell and try to hit me! (She's allergic to latex
gloves, almost *any* pollen, detergents, a lot of other things.) She's
afraid to try the leaf for fear of a (likely) reaction. FWIW

 DON'T TOUCH YOUR EYES AFTER YOU'VE BEEN USING THIS PLANT !!!! Mace is
preferable! If you accidently touch anywhere near your eyes, especially just
after you've applied the leaf, it will BURN! I had to flush my eye out with
the hose for about five minutes. (Won't ever miss that pair of contacts!
Glad they're disposables.)  This was from just rubbing the outside of my eye
once.
 Don't put this plant on or near your face!
 I usually shower at night, I've never left the plant juice on overnight. FWIW

 It's the best compromise I've found concerning hating the stench of OFF
(the plant is a *slight* improvement), cost wise (one leaf a night), and
overall effectiveness. For me, the crushed plant leaf is just as effective,
or more effective, than OFF.
 And I *really* hate OFF! (Cutters too)

Hope this helps
Matt Trahan <matttrahan@ecsu.campus.mci.net>
USDA zone 8, Sunset zone 31, northeastern N.C.
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Wed, 07 May 1997 12:43:21 PDT
>From: "D. Pederson" <dlpeder@hotmail.com>
>To: dodj@nersp.nerdc.ufl.edu, indoor-gardening@prairienet.org
>Subject: Re: citronella
>Message-ID: <199705071943.MAA23816@f46.hotmail.com>
>
>The claim that this plant drives away mosquitoes has been proven false 
>scientifically.  Please don't be fooled by it and certainly don't pay a high 
>price.  It is a large growing plant with very "coarse" leaves.  I overwintered 
>mine and have easily rooted cuttings.  Some Dutch company made these claims
but 
>no one reputable has verified them and the Dutch company doesn't appear to
even 
>exist!
>
Matt Trahan <matttrahan@ecsu.campus.mci.net> USDA zone 8, northeastern N.C.
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