Tansy as a bug repellant

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Has anyone used tansy as a bug repellant. I read somewhere that japanese beetles do not care for tansy. I would like to get ready for next year's garden. Do you know of any good sources for tansy seed?

-- Joan - Zone 6 (egavasnok@juno.com), November 03, 2001

Answers

I've heard of tansy as being a scourge on the land, at least up in Oregon. It's poisonous to horses and completely takes over. Maybe it would bear further research.

-- witness (witness@hotmail.com), November 03, 2001.

Hi Joan, We have a lot of Tansy that grows here in Minnesota (zone 3)and I have also heard that it is a good bug repellent. I think I tried it one year but if my memory serves me right, it wasn't too affective. I think I just smeared the plant on me as a mosquito repellent but it didn't work. It sure is a beautiful plant though. I could probably send you some seeds if you like. They are in seed now so let me know if you want to try it. Have fun, Deb

-- Deb Borgia (borgia@northernnet.com), November 03, 2001.

Toxic Tansy:

Tansy 1

Tansy 2

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), November 04, 2001.

Look Tansey up in your herb book it has a lot of differnt uses. One of them is actually worming for goats..in very small amounts...but I would check that one out further for safety. I have given mine a little now and then but not a lot. It will also cause heavey menstrual bleeding in women when and if you make a tea. SO WOMEN OF CHILD BEARING AGE DO NOT MAKE AN HERB TEA OUT OF TANSY...PLEASE !!! Makes you wonder what the pioneer women used for birth control...huh ??? It does grow like a weed but it does smell nice. I also heard that people used it to just have the fragrance in their homes. Interesting herb...do a study on it !!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), November 04, 2001.

I have used tansy as an ant repellant. Just put fresh (dried probably works, too) cuttings where you see ants entering your house or where ever you don't want them. It's amazing to see the ones still in your house "stuck" because they will not cross over the tansy!!

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), November 04, 2001.


Here in our mild Mediterranean climate tansy is a pain in the.. garden. I use it on the dogs in winter.. rub it in their fur to "freshen" them. Also I make bunches of tansy, lavender, and santolina, and beat my drapes and rugs with them.. brings a nice wild scent indoors on long rainy days here. I also hand bunches of tansy, lavender, and santolina in my coat closet.. have convinced myself it repells moths.

-- Ellen (gardenfarm@earthlink.net), November 06, 2001.

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