Apparently an urban legend is making the rounds in Canyon County, claiming that Listerine is a good product for killing mosquitoes.

Alas, the antiseptic mouthwash has a high alcohol content that makes it effective for killing many things, including landscape plants and flowers, the county Mosquito Abatement District noted in a news release Monday.

Abatement folks recommend the mosquito-averse (and aren't we all?) use other products – products that are registered for mosquito control.

And they offer this encouraging note: So far this season the district’s mosquito traps have not turned up any insects that test positive for West Nile Virus.

While you are pondering methods of skeeter-cide, check out the Listerine legend – and a wide range of others -- at http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/medical/alisterine.htm