Citronella is an oil that comes from the leaves of Citronella grass, and the Citronella Geranium plant. Often used as a plant-based, natural alternative in keeping bugs away, citronella oil is often added to candles, bug repellents, and sprays as a means to repel bugs. Now we know of the best ways to use aroma to keep those nasty flies away – there are some other things you can also try that will help! Keep Your Garbage Tidy Citronella is a plant that looks nice around your landscapes, but has a function, and is a foolproof way to help get rid of flies and any other unwanted insects. The World Health Organization did a revealing scientific reviewon smoke as an insect repellent, focusing on indoor smoke. The results have been largely inconclusive, with no proof that the smoke reduces the number of mosquito bites.

Burning natural incense may help you reduce the number of insects in your surroundings, as well as the number of bites. The experiments show that mosquitoes try to avoid smoke from herbal incense mixes. Truly natural incense is an alternative – although natural still doesn’t mean entirely safe! In most cases, it means understudied! If you’re having a BBQ or frequently eating outside, citronella candles and citronella oil is a good inexpensive investment. Citronella candles work wonders when burning because the aroma will become so overwhelming for those insects, making a very natural shield if you will. Nevertheless, using additional topical repellents on your skin will add protection if the mosquitoes in your area decide they don’t care about our silly fumes.Unfortunately, all the theory gets murky when we look at the (scarce) scientific research on the topic. We believe that mosquito coil incense offers some level of relief from mosquitoes and other pest insects. However – the incense isn’t perfect. During windy weather, the incense loses effectiveness.

On the other hand, adding herbs such as sage or lavender to campfires or fire pits can add to the protection given off by tremendous smoke emissions from these sources (and it smells so fine!). Whether oil or in plant form, citronella is a tried and true method that has been around for a while and will help you reach your fly-free goals. References Fruit Flies are the flies you see around your foods, and they eat fermented foods, like bananas, pineapples, and mostly all fruits that we’d consider going bad, and even things like vinegar, sugary things, or candy may attract them. You can read more about what attracts fruit flies here. Our two cents? Even if the herbs fail to save you from every bite – the divine fragrance will likely help you keep up the mood despite some itchy spots.There are many benefits to using citronella. Being that it is so widely known and used, it has become a tried and true method in repelling all those unwanted insects. It’s also always very readily available in stores, in candle form, and something you can grab if needed in a pinch! To use citronella indoors, starting with an aromatherapy diffuser is a great idea! Placing the diffuser in fly-prone spots like near the front door, or on a window sill will be effective, and will keep the flies from breaking and entering. One study investigatedindoor air pollution brought on by liquid and disk mosquito-repelling incense. The analysts measured the concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and secondary organic aerosols (SOA) – chemicals all damaging to human health. Still, we don’t believe burningtraditional and presumably safe natural incense herbsin a well-ventilated environment for a limited amount of time will do you much harm. The first thing I would like to point out is that if you live in an area where malaria other mosquito-borne disease is present, never rely on incense only to protect you!

Add to that the risk of exposure to volatile chemicals that may damage your health. I don’t think the unproven effects are worth the proven risk. The question we have today is, does citronella actually work in eliminating flies? The answer is yes, but not in the way that you may think. Citronella will not eliminate flies in the sense that the flies go bye-bye forever, BUT, citronella will repel them so that they are eliminated from your spaces.

Top 5 Incense Sticks

House Flies and Other Filth Flies.” House Flies and Other Filth Flies | IDPH, dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/environmental-health-protection/structural-pest-control/house-flies-other-filth-flies.

A citronella plant also has its own benefits. It is an easy-growing plant and provides beautiful greenery. It has an amazing aroma for humans, and also will only repel the insects we don’t want around! Any beneficial bugs like bumblebees or pleasant bugs like butterflies will not be affected. How to Use Citronella to Keep Flies Away Indoors Citronella can be used pretty much anywhere where you need some protection, and where you are using it, depends on which form will work best. The gist of it all is that flies basically eat all the things that typically repel humans – but, no matter what the flies’ desired taste might be, all food attracts all flies, AND, nothing masks these smells as well as citronella can. How to Use Citronella as a Fly Repellent Outside In oil form, citronella can be easily added to your lotions or carrier oils to effectively repel insects and flies, and can also be easily used in candles and rub-on products.When you plan to spend many hours in your yard, choose a long-lasting mosquito repellent to avoid the need for frequent reapplication. The lotion lasts for up to 14 hours, while the aerosol can give you 12 hours of protection. In either case, you can apply the repellent and carry on with your outdoor activities while the 20-percent picaridin formula repels insects like mosquitoes, flies, gnats, and chiggers.