What is citronella oil?: Citronella comes from grasses found in Asia, C. nardus and C. winterianus, not the lemon eucalyptus Eucalyptus citridora. Some citronella oil products, however contains active ingredients from Eucalyptus citriadora that may contain some PMD, an insect repellent that is almost as effective as DEET.
How good is citronella at repelling bugs?: Citronella is approved by the EPA as an insect repellent, but at a concentration of 10 percent, citronella repelled insects for only 20 minutes. DEET is still considered to be the most effective repellent around, although PMD from lemon eucalyptus warrants your interest especially if you are a synthetic chemical phobe.
Are citronella candles any help in repelling bugs?: Don't expect citronella candles to hold back a swarm of mosquitoes, but burning citronella candles may help scare insects away from your backyard.
Do not burn citronella candles inside your home. My brother-in-law tells the story of when he and my then pregnant sister fell asleep with a citronella candle burning. When he awoke my sister was covered with black cobwebs!
Some candles burn cleaner than others, but regardless, I do not recommend burning citronella candles indoors. And of course the usual precautions stand for burning candles around children.
Sources:
- CDC. Division of Vector Borne Infectious Diseases. West Nile Virus: Updated Information regarding Insect Repellents.
- CDC. Division of Vector Borne Infectious Diseases. West Nile Virus: Q and A: Insect Repellent Use and Safety.
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. ToxFAQs: DEET.
- AAP. AAP News. Vol. 28. No. 2 Feb. 2007. p. 37.
- CDC. Traveler’s Health. Yellow Book: Protection Against Mosquitoes and Other Arthropods.
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Permethrin.
- AHC Media. Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus as an Insect Repellent.
- AAP News. Increasing options for malaria prophylaxis in children. Vol. 28 No. 2 February 2007, p. 37.
- EPA. New Pesticide Fact Sheet. Picaridin. May 2005.