I just read an email about how Marigolds are effective in getting rid of mosquitoes and that lots of insects hate the smell of them. A friend then stated that all sorts of animals like cats won't go near them either.

Do they pose any danger to our four legged friends? I was going to put up a pile of them in flower boxes this year. We have already had our first case of West Nile found in a dead crow nearby.


Burtman

They won't hurt the dogs, Burtman, we've had them for years. It's also one plant that our dogs won't chew -- smells too bitter. Do you have earwigs by you? My mom has an awful problem with earwigs chewing the leaves off her Marigolds. We've got a few earwigs, but put a little pesticide down around the flowers to keep them out. Our garden is fenced in so the dogs can't go in, though.

Thanks Barb, I wasn't sure as Cooper seems to eat everything.;)

At my house we don't have a problem with them. My parents, where I grew up is on the lake and it was awful. My bedroom was in the basement and the summer was plain terrible trying to keep them down. Too much moisture in the air.


I really hate earwigs with every ounce of my being.:mad:


Burtman

Oh, yeah, me too. We're really hoping since we had next to no snow cover and some extremely cold temperatures that a lot of them got frozen out. They only burrow 3" into the ground to lay their eggs, so there's some hope here! Yuck ...