SMARTCHOICE
Insect initiative
Very effective mosquito repellents can be made from any of four common indigenous plants
- Published: 19/12/2011 at 08:42 AM
- Newspaper section: Life
Mention holy basil (kraprao) and turmeric (kamin) in the same breath and many people will assume you're about to give the recipe for some appetising Thai dish. But the strong-smelling essential oils in these two kitchen-garden plants also make them perfect as ingredients in a natural mosquito repellent.
Mosquitoes are normally a major annoyance for flood-hit communities since stagnant water is an ideal breeding ground for the insect's larvae.
The good thing about using essence of (kraprao leaves or turmeric root to ward off this pest is that both plants are easy to find and relatively safe to use compared to commercial chemical repellents, said Supaporn Pitiporn, a pharmacist at Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital, noting that another advantage was that the method for extracting the essence was very simple.
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About the author
- Writer: Ploenpote Atthakor
- Position: Reporter
