This is a message from the Museumpests List. To post to this list send it as an email to pestlist@museumpests.net To unsubscribe please look at the footer of this email. ----------------------------------------------------------- Holly,
My grandmother was always using essential oils and various plants/plant parts for their reputed pest repellant properties in and around her gardens. In all honesty, I had no way of knowing back then whether they actually worked. However, holding on the old ways is still alive and well if the number of hits from a Google search is any indication. I found one publication from 1999 in the Journal of Medical Entomology in which the researchers found that by and large several of the essential oils that they tested did not serve to deter mosquitoes from landing on a person or from then biting. The research group looked into this because of the long standing claims about the properties of essential oils as insect repellents. The exceptions in the study were clove oil, peppermint oil and thyme oil. Although effective as repellents and bite preventatives, the concentrations had to be very high. The required concentrations of the essential oils resulted in skin irritations on the test subjects. Basically, the researchers were not too optimistic about the use of essential oils as repellents Your question, however, relates to using essential oils around a building perimeter to deter/repel insects. There were several search hits for this topic too. These were not vetted types of web sites, however (mostly of the old wives tale type of explanations). However, there seems to be no end of claims for using peppermint oil (and sometimes clove oil) to repel spiders, scorpions, mice and all manner of pests. The proponents stated that they placed pieces of cotton wool soaked in the oil at various points around the outside of the house and noted positive results. I would imagine that Christa Deacy-Quinn could provide references. She struck me as the type that would require such documentation. I have to wonder, however, just how effective such things as peppermint oil and clove oil actually are and how frequently they would require replenishment. As for suppliers, a search returned far too many alternative types of vendors to count. Each was offering all types of essential oils packaged for use as insect repellents. Some of these vendors were also selling macramé garments and hanging plant holders (I could hear Grateful Dead tunes in the background). As for the two of the most effective oils from the 1999 study, any GNC or pharmacy should stock both clove oil and peppermint oil. Each is sold for personal use as antiseptics, pain reducers etc. If you contact Christa, I would be interested to learn what she has to say and whether she is aware of documentation. This essential oil method might very well work under certain conditions. I simply do not know firsthand. Mike From: ad...@museumpests.net [mailto:ad...@museumpests.net] On Behalf Of Garner, Holly Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2014 9:18 AM To: 'pestlist@museumpests.net' Subject: [pestlist] clove/peppermint repellent This is a message from the Museumpests List. To post to this list send it as an email to pestlist@museumpests.net<mailto:pestlist@museumpests.net> To unsubscribe please look at the footer of this email. ----------------------------------------------------------- Greetings all, At the Museum Pest conference speaker Christa Deacy-Quinn mentioned that she uses a clove/peppermint repellent outside and around the building. I are interested in knowing more and wonder if anyone can point me towards a supplier and or any research regarding? Many thanks, Holly Holly Garner Assistant Registrar for Collections National Gallery of Art Washington, DC 202.842.6237, work; 202.439.6396, cell Fax: 202.842.6932 Mailing Address: 2000B South Club Dr., Landover, MD 20785 FedEx Mailing Address: 6th St. and Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20565 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To send an email to the list, send your msg to pestlist@museumpests.Net<mailto:pestlist@museumpests.Net> To unsubscribe from this list send an email to pestlist@museumpests.net<mailto:pestlist@museumpests.net> and in the subject put: "unsubscribe" - no quotes please. You are receiving the Pestlist emails in standard mode. To change to the DIGEST mode send an email to imail...@museumpests.net<mailto:imail...@museumpests.net> with this command in the body: set mode digest pestlist Any problems email l...@collectionpests.com<mailto:l...@collectionpests.com> or l...@zaks.com<mailto:l...@zaks.com> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To send an email to the list, send your msg to pestlist@museumpests.Net To unsubscribe from this list send an email to pestlist@museumpests.net and in the subject put: "unsubscribe" - no quotes please. You are receiving the Pestlist emails in standard mode. To change to the DIGEST mode send an email to imail...@museumpests.net with this command in the body: set mode digest pestlist Any problems email l...@collectionpests.com or l...@zaks.com
