project to rid of mosquitoes with a plant and animal based design system

[sid]

My housing society in suburban Pune has taken up a project to get rid
of mosquitoes from our neighbourhood through natural means. We got a
lot of our ideas from this article:
http://permaculturetokyo.blogspot.com/2009/07/natures-mosquito-control.html
- which involves a design system involving plants and animals.

We had the following questions:
1. What is the Citronella macronata tree? The article mentions this is
a tree that can be planted as a hedge. Is it found in India?

2. The citronella compound has also been bred into the “lemon
geranium” which exudes the same scent (as Citronella Macronata) and is
used to repel mosquitoes at the herb layer. Is “lemon geranium” the
same as Citronella grass?

3. Is 'catnip' native? Where can we find it? Catnip extract (and so is
Rosemary extract) is a good mosquito repellent.

4. Bullrush and Cattail attract dragonfly that eat mosquitoes - what
are these and where can I find them?

5. The Chinese have been using Artemisia annua (a.k.a. sweet wormwood)
to cure fevers for centuries. Is this available?

And if someone can help with this: Are there places around Pune where
one could get mass quantities (and cheap) of lemon grass, citronella
(grass) and vetiver for planting?

Thank you very much
Regards
Siddartha

3.

[Yazdy Palia]

This is not pertaining to plants or botany, but, I made an accidental
discovery last year. The red weaving ants are good predators of
mosquitoes provided, the entry or exit point from the breeding area is
narrow. I observed that the ants had covered all the exit points from
the vent pipe of my septic tank and no sooner a mosquito tried to
either enter the vent hole or exit, it was caught by alert ants and
promptly dismembered. I stood on the spot for 30 minutes and hardly a
couple of them escaped the clutches.
Regards.
Yazdy Palia.

[J.M. Garg]

Forwarding again for any assistance in the matter please.

Some earlier relevant feedback:

“This is not pertaining to plants or botany, but, I made an accidental

discovery last year. The red weaving ants are good predators of
mosquitoes provided, the entry or exit point from the breeding area is
narrow. I observed that the ants had covered all the exit points from
the vent pipe of my septic tank and no sooner a mosquito tried to
either enter the vent hole or exit, it was caught by alert ants and
promptly dismembered. I stood on the spot for 30 minutes and hardly a
couple of them escaped the clutches.
Regards.

Yazdy Palia.”

--

With regards,
J.M.Garg (jmg...@gmail.com)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jmgarg1

'Creating awareness of Indian Flora & Fauna'
The whole world uses my Image Resource of more than a thousand species & eight thousand images of Birds, Butterflies, Plants etc. (arranged alphabetically & place-wise): http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:J.M.Garg. You can also use them for free as per Creative Commons license attached with each image.

For identification, learning, discussion & documentation of Indian Flora, please visit/ join our Efloraofindia Google e-group: http://groups.google.co.in/group/indiantreepix (more than 1680 members & 75,000 messages on 31/7/11) or Efloraofindia website: https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/ (with a species database of around 5000 species)

[satyendra tiwari]

we had similar experience with white browed fantail bird. she use to sit near the exit pipe and catch each and every mosquito. bulbul and sparrows followed her later and now they r always there.

small fishes are best to reduce the larva from any pond.

--

Satyendra K.Tiwari.
Wildlife Photographer, Naturalist, Tour Leader
H.NO 129, P.O.Tala, Distt Umariya.
M.P. India 484-661
Park Entry fee is constantly under revision since last one year. We take no responsibility for any changes in park rules / fees. We will endaevour to let you know as soon as we know of such changes.

To know more about Bandhavgarh visit following links.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/satyendraphotography
http://tigerdiaries.blogspot.com
http://skayscamp.wetpaint.com
SKAY'S CAMP is awarded QUALITY rating by Tour Operator For Tigers (TOFT). http://www.toftigers.org/accommodation/Default.aspx?id=15
Review Skay's Camp on TripAdvisor
00-91-7627-265309 or 09425331209

[Yazdy Palia]

I agree with Satyendra Tiwari ji. Small fish, tadpoles play a very
important role in reducing the population by eating the larvae. My
tank full of rainwater does not have a single larva because of the
tadpoles of green tree frogs.
Regards
Yazdy.

[Giby Kuriakose]

Please see the attached picture the Oecophila ant took away the mosquito I was trying to focus!

Yes I too agree that tadpoles is a good option. Other than this larvae of Damzel fly is a good predator of mosquito larvae. 

Please visit the following links and go through the attached pdfs. 

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/frank/bromeliadbiota/mosbrom6.htm

http://www.ehow.com/about_6560935_damselfly-diet.html

http://www.snh.org.uk/publications/on-line/naturallyscottish/dragonfly/breedandfeed.asp

Regards,

Giby

 

--
GIBY KURIAKOSE PhD
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE),
Royal Enclave,
Jakkur Post, Srirampura
Bangalore- 560064
India
Phone - +91 9448714856 (Mobile)
visit my pictures @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/giby