Mustard Vs. Mosquito
Mosquitos are one of Earths most annoying pests and are known to carry many harmful diseases like Zika and yellow fever. Synthetic pesticides can be used to repel or kill mosquitos. However, it’s possible for mosquitos to adapt to these pesticides and build a resistance to them. ARS researchers have found a spicy repellant to mosquitos that is likely already in your fridge -- Mustard.
ARS researchers ran tests on several naturally occurring defense chemicals found in mustard seeds. They found that when submerged in water with mosquito larvae, all varieties of the mustard seeds tested proved toxic to the larvae, with one variety, garden cress, killing 95% of the larvae within a 24-hour period. These defense chemicals have been found to also kill root-damaging nematodes and disease-causing fungi.
With this new natural remedy for mosquito extermination, the spread of diseases like Zika and yellow fever can be mitigated easier and faster than ever before by eliminating the mosquito carriers before they can take flight.