

The mosquito-repelling activity of sweetgrass - inm
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33984044

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DennisP
If only the article had mentioned the Latin name of the plant. Wikipedia gives
four possibilities:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_grass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_grass)

~~~
VeejayRampay
Hierochloe odorata

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pvaldes
There is a lot of plants with coumarin in fact, not ony weeds.

~~~
VeejayRampay
Good to know, thanks.

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npongratz
Anecdotes are not data, of course, but my mosquito bite-riddled hide begged to
differ with my grandmother's (and apparently, some scientists') belief that
Avon's "Skin So Soft" worked as insect repellent back in the 1990s.

~~~
unprepare
I just returned from a vacation in florida.

I can tell you that skin-so-soft definitely works against no-see-ums (or
midges). It doesnt seem to have any effect at all on mosquitos.

I sprayed the oil on a table covered in both mosquitos and no-see-ums. the
mosquitos flew away and the no-see-ums all died right where they were.

~~~
JoeAltmaier
'flew away' is working, for some values of 'working'

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saluki
[https://www.prairiemoon.com/seeds/grasses-sedges-
rushes/hier...](https://www.prairiemoon.com/seeds/grasses-sedges-
rushes/hierochloe-odorata-sweet-grass.html)

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JoeAltmaier
I know a young man, camped with him 100 times (Boy Scouts), who _does not get
bit by mosquitoes_. Think about that. If he could bottle whatever it is, he
would be a billionaire.

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terov
In the same vein:
[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20836800](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20836800)

Geraniol, linalool, and citronella compared (candles and diffusers, albeit
indoors). Geraniol appeared most effective.

More by many of the same researchers:
[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20836800](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20836800)

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smoyer
I'm very hopeful some of these safe Deet alternatives become products. If you
need a mosquito repellent, stand next to me and you won't get a single bite
(my family is very appreciative).

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dsr_
Wikipedia tells me that coumarin is only a precursor to coumadin, and is not,
therefore, a well-known rat poison and anticoagulant.

I hope WP is right.

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hadeharian
It's good to be developing chemicals better than Deet, considering most
Dermatologists would never use the stuff.

