citronella plants

[seafox]

Hi... I was just wondering your thoughts on the citronella plants (pelargonium citrosum). I recently bought 2 of them thinking it would help deter pesky mosquitoes from bothering the chickens. I don't want to put them around my coup if they are harmful to my girls.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! They don't seem to be on most of the common poisonous plant lists, but like anything, wouldn't put them in the run since the chickens will eat them and destroy them for sure, around the coop they should be fine.

 

[seafox]

Great.. Thank you.. They will definitely be planted outside of the coup.. And hopefully will help with the mosquitoes!

 

[Bine]

Pelargonium graveolens / zonale / citrosmum produce geraniol and linalool and are mildly harmful to cats and dogs. But it is normally no big deal. A bit of temporary irritation and voimiting.It is not harmful to birds, bees and other wildlife but I would*t feed pelargonium to my chickens.
My mom has some very old and very big citronellas on her porch and overwinters the plants indoor. They are wounderful in summer, when the wind moves the leaves the whole house smells like a big lemon, but if you have sensetive skin, like me, resist the temptation to make them smell by touching them. It doesn*t hurt but it causes skin irritation.

 

[BantamLover21]

I'm glad you joined our community!

I don't have any experience with citronella and chickens, but I'm thinking that it would be fine.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[drumstick diva]

I don't know how chickens would do around citronella but, any whiff of it gives me immediate headaches.

 

[manopueo29]

I was just at the plant store today and asked about plants that keep flies and bugs away from my garden, dogs and cats (don't have my chicks yet so didn't think of asking about them). He suggested rosemary and cat grass.

 

[sunflour]

I was just at the plant store today and asked about plants that keep flies and bugs away from my garden, dogs and cats (don't have my chicks yet so didn't think of asking about them). He suggested rosemary and cat grass.

Glad you have joined us.

Rosemary and Catmint would be great around or near the coop. I love rosemary and catmint. According to "Gardening with Free-Range Chickens for Dummies" both are excellent choices.
Rosemary can repel some insects and smells wonderful. Catmint is a good insect repellant for lice and ticks on chickens.

But the catmint will attract bees when they are in bloom and when not blooming it does attract cats - they will roll in it and get "happy". Most cats are not predators on full grown, full sized chickens, but bantams and chicks are a different issue. Bees stay on the blooms of the catmint and really don't pose a problem, but wouldn't place it close to any bench or work area you will be accessing.

I agree with drumstick diva, citronella plants or candles give he a headache as well. I used them on a patio in the past to keep down mosquitos and was unimpressed with the result.

 

[FrankieBeansandQuail]

Hi... I was just wondering your thoughts on the citronella plants (pelargonium citrosum). I recently bought 2 of them thinking it would help deter pesky mosquitoes from bothering the chickens. I don't want to put them around my coup if they are harmful to my girls.

I put a few stems in their foot baths / bin of warm water with gravke androcks to walk on the ckean feet and treat bumble foot and they ate all the stems and leaves ,