The world's most dangerous animals--causing more deaths per year than any other creature--is the mosquito. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mosquito bites result in several million human deaths every year, the majority from malaria, but also from dengue, yellow fever and other mosquito-borne diseases.
Even if we do not reside where 40 percent of the world's population is so threatened, mosquitoes can make gardening unpleasant and, at times, nigh on impossible.
So why not set out insect repelling plants? These plants actually just create more space for mosquitoes to rest, says Stan Cope, President of the American Mosquito Control Association.
Richters, experts in all that is herbal, notes this plant, correctly
Pelargonium 'Citrosa', "Claimed to keep mosquitoes, black flies and other biting insects at bay. Studies suggest that it is not effective."
Neither will citronella candles protect against mosquitoes. Says Cope, citronella is often found to be a weak repellant. Neither is he impressed with bug zappers. That sizzling sound is not sweet revenge as the majority of what bug zappers catch are other insects, not mozzies.
Although claims are frequently made for many commercial repellents, the only scientifically proven to work are those containing DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or PMD. And while gardening best avoid wearing dark-coloured clothing, especially blue denim. Also avoid using colognes or perfumes, which can also attract wasps.
So how about simply swatting the blighters? Forget it. Mosquitoes are much better at learning than we ever suspected, recently warned online
ScienceAlert. According to a study published in
Current Biology, when you slap a mosquito that is about to bite you, it learns to associate with your personal scent with that life-threatening experience and will avoid you in the future. This is the first demonstration to show that mosquitoes are able to both learn and remember. Given the number of mosquitoes around, swatting as a preventative then is hardly reassuring
Of course, in the bad old days we could resort to chemical warfare. The results were devastating, not the least for the world's most dangerous animal:
A mosquito was heard to complain
That a chemist had poisoned her brain
The cause of her sorrow was
Para-dichloro-diphenyltrichlor-ethane
