Catnip

From Science Daily:

Termites and Catnip:

Known for its intoxicating effects on felines, catnip oil may also have a future in termite control. Recent experiments by USDA Forest Service researcher Chris Peterson show that catnip oil repels and even kills termites in a laboratory setting.

For their termite study, Peterson and Ems-Wilson infused sand with catnip essential oil--the kind routinely sold in pet stores--to test the effectiveness of the oil as a barrier to termite tunneling. To test vertical tunneling, the researchers placed yellow pine sapwood in the bottom of a test tube filled with sand. A two-inch barrier of catnip-treated sand separated the termites in the top layer of untreated sand from the pine. To test horizontal tunneling, the researchers constructed a barrier of treated sand across the middle of a transparent box of sand, again with the tempting pine placed across the barrier from the termites. In both tests, catnip oil reduced or eliminated termite tunneling.

Southern Research Station - USDA Forest Service (2003, March 26). Termites Repelled By Catnip Oil. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 17, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/03/030326073708.htm

Catnip and Mosquitos:

ScienceDaily (Aug. 28, 2001) — CHICAGO, August 27 — Researchers report that nepetalactone, the essential oil in catnip that gives the plant its characteristic odor, is about ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET — the compound used in most commercial insect repellents.

American Chemical Society (2001, August 28). Catnip Repels Mosquitoes More Effectively Than DEET. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 17, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/08/010828075659.htm


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