Citronella is a grass that is largely grown in parts of Asia that is used in a variety of ways and particularly as an insect repellent, in perfumes, as a food flavoring and for several health-related applications. For the purposes of this article, I wanted to look at the question of can I use citronella candles indoors or is it something to avoid.
The only reasons for burning citronella candles are either for its scent or ability to ward off biting pests like mosquitoes. Since the scent of a candle isn’t that strong when burned, the insect repellent purpose is left standing as the only real reason you might want to burn a citronella candle.
Citronella candles are meant to be burned outside in a well-ventilated area and not indoors due to potential health hazards to people who have respiratory issues and for children and pets. To ward off mosquitoes, a topical insect repellent with DEET remains a better option over citronella.
The purpose of a citronella candle
Anyone who has ever burned an open flame candle knows that you need a calm wind-free environment or else the candle flame will go out. And if you put the candle inside a protective case to prevent the wind from snuffing it out, you won’t ward off insects since the candle smoke is contained.
The other question is why would you even want to burn citronella candles indoors? The smell isn’t particularly pleasant and if you’ve ever burned most scented candles indoors, you quickly realize that the scent isn’t very strong anyways especially when you burn it in a large room.
So if you can’t burn a citronella candle indoors and burning one outdoors requires wind-free weather, what is the point?
Why can’t I burn citronella candles inside my house?
While burning a wax candle indoors is a common activity, they give off black soot which at a minimum is messy and difficult to clean up. Health concerns related to burning a wax candle indoors are up for debate as some studies have claimed they exist while others have downplayed those same questions.
Since wax candles often use cheaper paraffin wax over more expensive soy-based ones and as paraffin is made from petroleum, health concerns tend to be related to that material specifically.
With citronella, burning it produces a dark black smoke which does have a strong scent and it in turn produces soot. Certainly burning tiki torches in my backyard with citronella oil produces visible black smoke and the longer the wick the more smoke is produced. It’s the smell from the smoke that is purported to ward off insects so the more smoke the better. A citronella candle produces little to no smoke however, certainly not enough on its own to ward off insects. Again, what is the point?
While the smoke produced from a smaller citronella candle indoors is less than a citronella torch, the question remains: Why would you want to burn a citronella candle anyways?
A citronella candle is even less helpful because candles produce far less smoke with a small, short wick and it’s the smell that is supposed to ward off mosquitoes in the first place.
And since it’s not recommended even by citronella candle manufacturers to burn them indoors, the point is immediately moot for that reason alone.
Where does citronella oil come from?
Citronella oil is distilled from the blades of citronella grass which is predominantly grown in tropical areas in Asia such as Indonesia, Java, Burma, India and Sri Lanka among others. Distillation refers to the separation process where a solid like citronella grasses are boiled to extract a vapor which is then turned back into a liquid.
Citronella is commonly used in candles to ward off mosquitoes but is also sold in a liquid form that can be burned outdoors in a tiki torch or other device. In this case, you dip the rope in the oil which absorbs the liquid and light it to burn the oil and produce a smoke that also keeps pests away. Or so they say.
Does citronella for mosquitoes work?
Citronella candles and tiki torches are not very effective for warding off mosquitoes or other pests. If you’ve ever burned tiki torches in the backyard you may be aware that the suggested layout for the torches from the manufacturer themselves is that you place the torches every 6 – 8 feet around the perimeter of where you are staying in your backyard.
Tiki torches disperse the smoke around the backyard but the question is how well the smoke is spread around to ward off mosquitoes or other flying pets you’d rather avoid. While you can walk close to a tiki torch and smell the burning scent, tiki torch smoke rises in the air and since the torches themselves are about 5′ high when placed in the ground, the smoke rises above that mark.
So if you’re seated or even standing in your backyard how will this help to ward off mosquitoes that are buzzing around the lower extremities of your body like your arms and legs which is where they commonly bite?
Is citronella and lemongrass the same?
No, citronella and lemongrass are not the same and are different plants. Both plants are green and grow to about 5′ – 6′ in height but have differences in terms of how they grow, their smell and what they look like.
Lemongrass: Is completely green of a light coloring and has long thin grassy stems. As the name would suggest, lemongrass has a lemony smell. Lemongrass is entirely green including at the base.
Citronella: Is also green but darker and has wide blades with a strong smell and taste. The smell does resemble lemon which is perhaps where the confusion lies. Citronella has a reddish base however which is a quick distinguishing feature.
Here’s a short video that explains things visually and verbally to show you what the citronella plant looks like and why the plant alone won’t ward off mosquitoes.
Citronella vs lemongrass as a mosquito repellent
If you’re trying to ward off mosquitoes and can’t burn citronella candles indoors what else can you do to keep them at bay?
Some people argue that lemongrass is a better option for warding off flying biting insects. Research shows that lemongrass oil specifically is a good insect repellent
against mosquitoes and house flies.
Interestingly however, research studies that compare the efficacy of various ingredients used in popular insect repellents continue to focus on the success of one ingredient, and it’s not lemongrass.
Research studies show that topical products (ones applied directly to the skin) containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) which is a long-used active ingredient in many insect repellents, perform very well. DEET doesn’t kill insects but does a good job of keeping them from biting you.
The best performing product upon application to the skin that was tested was OFF Deep Woods insect repellent VIII containing 25% DEET.
This particular study did test a repellent with lemon eucalyptus but not lemongrass specifically and it did show initial success upon application to ward off mosquitoes.
What to use to prevent mosquito bites
If you’re looking for an effective insect repellent, you can do much better than burning citronella.
As mentioned above, an insect repellent with DEET is the industry standard for success in warding off mosquitoes as well as other annoying pests that often carry diseases like the Zika virus. But DEET isn’t the only option.
Insect repellents containing Picaridin or IR 3535 are also recommended by the CDC to ward off mosquitoes.
Insect repellents that contain DEET are known to help prevent mosquito bites but it isn’t uncommon for them to still land on your body even with DEET present. They just won’t bite however.
Research shows that repellents with Picaridin prevent pests from even landing on you and have been shown to be more successful as a repellent than IR 3535.
You can further reduce your risk of getting bitten by pests by dressing appropriately: Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts, wear a hat and don’t forget to cover your feet. Many mosquitoes do like the smell of feet which explains why you often experience mosquito bites on your feet and legs.