I planted catnip just to please my cat: since then, not a single mosquito comes near my garden in the evening
Catnip contains nepetalactone, a compound ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET, according to decades of scientific research. What started as a discovery about feline behavior has become a proven, natural alternative to commercial insect repellents that you can grow in your own garden. Field trials in Uganda confirm it works just as well as DEET in real-world conditions.