> I have heard that neem is a very good antidote for mosquitoes. One can
> experiment with treating the mosquito nets with neem paste. Burning neem
> leaves near sites of mosquito breeding kills them very effectively. As a
> long term solution having neem trees around effectivels reduces the
> presence of mosquitos. Neem is very hardy, hardly needs watering and
> survives/thrives anywhere in India.Best thing to do would be to scout
> around during the beginning of the monsoons, when there are lots of neem
> saplings taking root, and transplant them. This is almost a religious
> activity for some groups here.
I lived in the Dominican Republic for a few years where Neem trees
were introduced in one of the waves of miracle trees, and out in the
south-west where I lived, they grew very well and were popular mostly
due to the belief that the mere precence of these trees is an insect
repellent. As far as I can tell, the insecticidal qualities of this
tree are only achieved by some form of processing of either leaves or
seeds. I can only tell you that hanging out under Neem trees never
seemed to discourage the ferocious mosquitos that found me. I
believe the Neem-tree-alone-as-insecticide to be a myth.
Anita
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