Swatting mosquitoes and dodging other biting
bugs is nearly a year-round chore in the Southeast, but such pests are
swarming across the country with the advent of summer weather. And with
warnings about West Nile virus and other insect-borne diseases out,
keeping the pests away has taken on new urgency.
American beautyberry, Callicarpa americana.
A traditional folk remedy, known among people in Mississippi’s hill country for at least a century, may provide some relief without all the worries of DEET and other harsh chemicals. Scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service housed at the National Center for Natural Products Research at the University of Mississippi have isolated compounds in the American beautyberry plant, Callicarpa americana, that may keep chomping insects away.
A traditional folk remedy, known among people in Mississippi’s hill country for at least a century, may provide some relief without all the worries of DEET and other harsh chemicals. Scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service housed at the National Center for Natural Products Research at the University of Mississippi have isolated compounds in the American beautyberry plant, Callicarpa americana, that may keep chomping insects away.
