Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
Using a Neem Tree to Keep Away Mosquitoes
Using a Neem Tree to Keep Away Mosquitoes. Native to Southeast Asia and India, the neem tree is an ornamental shade tree with pesticidal properties. It has a low mammalian toxicity level and is believed to affect more than 60 insects, according to the University of Connecticut's Integrated Pest Management.
Native to Southeast Asia and India, the neem tree is an ornamental shade tree with pesticidal properties. It has a low mammalian toxicity level and is believed to affect more than 60 insects, according to the University of Connecticut's Integrated Pest Management.
History
Indian farmers have been using the neem tree as an insecticide for thousands of years. They used to hang neem branches in granaries to protect harvests from insect pests. Scientists in Europe and the United States started analyzing neem in the 1970s.
Mechanism
The neem tree contains insecticidal substances in all its parts, but the seeds contain the greatest concentration. Azadirachin in the neem tree deters mosquitoes against feeding on it and disrupts their normal growth.
Application
According to University of Maryland Medical Center, neem essential oil can repel insects when applied to the skin. Dilute the oil before application with olive oil, as pure essential oil may cause irritation.
