People do it. Birds do it, too—stock their homes with sweet-smelling herbal disinfectants. Evolutionary ecologist Marcel Lambrechts has found that Corsican Blue Tits scent their nests with a potpourri of perfumed plants, including lavender, mint, yarrow, and citronella. And the birds keep bringing fresh herbs, from the onset of egg laying to their offsprings' nestling stage. Strong-smelling herbal plants create a safe haven for these baby Corsican Blue Tits.Photograph courtesy of Marcel Lambrechts and André Joly.
