Citronella

[Sinbad7]

Has anyone tried this as an insect repellent?

I have been bitten more times than not this year at the lottie and it is driving me mad.......... by insects :)

Looked online and I don't like the sound of the chemical based ones so found citronella as a repellent and wondered if it worked.

[Sinbad7]

[ACE]

I have some citronella oil for a lamp it works well if we are sat out of an evening and the gnats start to bite.

Drives them off next door in no time.

[star]

Citronella is good as insect repellent  Sinbad, but if you are applying it to your skin it must be diluted with almond or similar carrier oil.

The only essential oil that can be used neat on the skin is Lavender.

It is good used in a burner as ACE said and you can get Citronella candles as well that are just as effective ;)

[ceres]

I've tried them all and the only thing that works for me is 50% DEET.  Tried citronella, tea tree, Avon lotion, tumble drier sheets, garlic, B vits............ etc. etc.  I get an extreme reaction to most bites so was referred to see an immunoliogist at hospital.  All he could recommend was DEET for prevention and steroids for treatment.  Funnily enough, I haven't been bitten so much this year.  Sorry, not much help but you have my sympathy.  :(

[littlebabybird]

star, only lavender? we use teatree all the time, (neat on skin)
has the advice changed?
lbb

[star]

No lovey, the advice has not changed. Im just not 'with it'..........AND I also use Teatree neat. Ignore me hun Im just a bit of a plonker.

My head is a shed this week 8) ;)

[hellohelenhere]

Apparently citronella is very effective but only for a short period, you need to reapply it every 30 mins or something for it to be as effective as Deet. I've found the natural product Mosiguard ( http://www.mosi-guard.com/ ) very effective in my old garden, for an hour or two or three - we have vicious mosquitos there, must be from the ponds around. I won't go out there after late afternoon without repellent, or I *always* get bitten! The only problem with Mosiguard though, is that it's fierce eucalyptus-citrony stuff and you have to be careful not to get it in your eyes. This makes it not ideal for an all-day repellent, as with re-applications, you eventually get it everywhere...

I was in Virginia in the summer - major mosquitos - and I tried another repellent called picaridin (or icaridin). It worked well, but only for about 2-3hrs. Deet definitely seems to last longer than anything else. But picaridin is supposed to be less toxic (and smells less); if you're in the allotment for up to 3 hrs, it could do the job - or if you don't mind reapplying after a few hours.

[Sinbad7]

Thank you so much for all your replies.  These little critters don't mind where I am, lottie, home out walking, you name it they bite me.

I'm feeling a nervous wreck at the moment, I seem to have so many bites.  On my head I must have at least six big lumps and arms plastered up, I'm laughing but it is no joke really.  I wouldn't mind if I was young and tender ;I will start trying things you have recommended.

Many thanks all.

[hellohelenhere]

The other thing I used to do in my old garden was to really cover up! Long sleeves, long trousers, scarf, hat... practically the only bit of skin showing was my face, and I kept that well refreshed with mosiguard. They sometimes manage to bite, even through clothing, if the fabric is fine; double layers are even better! I have to cover up my arms anyway, or I get welts from grass and other plant sap.
Next time I go to Virginia (that's where my husband is from), I'm going to be really well equipped, with long trousers that cuff at the ankle - my shins are still scarred from bites. They have ticks and chiggers there, too - ugh, ugh, ugh! Managed to avoid those, thank goodness, but every time you walk on grass you're taking a gamble.

[Jeannine]

Works great in a lamp or burning a candle, even in the lakes in BC where there are hundreds buzzing around I didn't get bitten, they just moved on somewhere else. Also works among bushes..keeps the cats off. XX Jeannine