Gorillas are in grave danger. The Western gorillas, which include the Western lowland gorilla and Western cross river gorillas, are critically endangered. The Eastern Gorilla, with two subspecies, the Mountain and Eastern Lowland gorilla, recently went from Endangered to Critically Endangered because its population has declined by over 70% in just 20 years.

These gentle giants are battling significant threats. They're victims of widespread poaching and losing their homes due to chopping down forests for farming, mining, building development, and more. Meanwhile, poachers continue to hunt gorillas, while unstructured gorilla tourism can also affect mountain gorillas' behavior and health.

Moreover, these great apes are at risk of diseases due to their genetic similarity to humans2. Human diseases like Ebola can be transmitted to gorillas from humans or other animals, posing a significant threat and further endangering their populations.

Conservation organizations, park rangers, and committed local communities work tirelessly to conserve Mountain Gorillas and their habitats. Their work includes initiatives focusing on anti-poaching efforts, habitat preservation, educating local communities, and regulating ecotourism.

Several organizations, such as the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund  International and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), actively work towards conservation through research, education, and gorilla habitat protection. 

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Basil is one of the plants that repel pests and flying insects. Its leaves contain four effective mosquito repellents - estragole, citronellal, nerolidol, and limonene. The fragrant herb is also very effective at repelling flea beetles, cabbage worms, tomato hornworms, ants, flies, and aphids.

Some plants from the mint family are insect-repelling plants. Spearmint and peppermint plants deter mosquitoes, spider mites, and flies, while pennyroyal mint repels fleas and ticks. These mint plants are a great addition to vegetable gardens and flower beds.

Chrysanthemums are plants that repel bugs like Japanese beetles, cockroaches, ants, spider mites, bedbugs, fleas, silverfish, lice, and harlequin bugs. Chrysanthemum is an effective mosquito repellent because it contains pyrethrum.

The allium family includes onions, chives, garlic, shallots, and leeks. An example of allium plants is the Allium giganteum, the giant onion, which grows up to six feet tall. It is a popular ingredient in Southeast Asian cooking. Allium plants repel pests like slugs, cabbage worms, carrot flies, Japanese beetles, aphids, ticks, and cabbage loopers.

Next on our list of plants that repel pests is catnip. Catnip is a member of the mint family that repels bugs but attracts cats. It contains a compound called Nepeta cataria, which deters mosquitoes and insects by triggering a chemical receptor that causes the sensation of pain or itching8.

Citronella grass is a perennial grass native to the tropical areas of Asia. Farmers grow it commercially in Sri Lanka, Java, India, Indonesia, and Burma to produce candles, soaps, and insect repellents.

Another plant that repels bugs is the marigold. Gardeners testify that the marigold effectively repels whiteflies in a tomato garden. However, until 2019, there was no scientific evidence to support this claim.

Various thyme species work effectively against mosquitoes and other insects. Research shows that thyme essential oil is the most efficient way to prevent mosquitoes7. Essential oils of Thymus broussonetii and Thymus maroccanus destroy the larvae of common house mosquitoes, honeycomb moths, and yellow fever mosquitoes.

A rosemary plant contains essential oils like geraniol, linalol, burneol, and sineol. These fragrant oils are efficient insect repellents.