Many common mosquito repellents like citronella candles, essential oils, and bug zappers offer little real protection. Some provide brief relief, while others can do more harm than good. Lasting mosquito control requires eliminating breeding sites, using EPA-approved repellents, and applying professional treatments that target mosquitoes where they hide.
When the warm weather hits, so do the myths about how to keep mosquitoes away. Whether it’s lighting a citronella candle, plugging in a bug zapper, or dabbing on essential oils, many well-known “remedies” promise protection but rarely deliver on it. If you’ve tried everything short of building a screened-in fortress, it’s time to sort fact from fiction.
At National Exterminating, we’ve seen firsthand which mosquito control methods work and which ones waste your time and money. Below, we break down common products and practices, explain their limitations, and point you toward real, long-term mosquito relief.
Does Citronella Work to Repel Mosquitoes?
The short answer to this question is “Not really.”
While citronella candles, lamp oils, and the citronella plant emit a compound that helps mask the human scents that attract mosquitoes, that protection is limited to just a small space around the citronella source. Even just a foot or two away from the candle, lamp, or plant, that protection drops off to almost zero. And if there’s even a light breeze, the citronella provides no protection whatsoever.
You may think this means that you can at least protect a backyard dinner party with citronella candles on the table, but even that’s probably not enough. Most species of mosquitoes prefer to feed close to the ground, so your guests will likely suffer bites on the legs no matter how many candles you place on the table.
Citronella plants may even cause more harm than good. Since these plants are usually kept in pots outside, water tends to collect and stagnate in the tray under the pot. Since citronella isn’t actually a repellent—it just keeps mosquitoes from finding people to bite—this water is just as likely as any standing water to become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Do Essential Oils Keep Mosquitoes Away?
The answer here is another disappointing “Not really.”
Yes, it’s true that essential oils like lavender, eucalyptus, and even citronella (see above) can repel mosquitoes, but the protection they offer only lasts for a few minutes after application. To maintain effective protection, you’ll end up spending a significant amount of time applying another dose of oil.
Do Bug Zappers Kill Mosquitoes?
Once again, we have to answer “Not really.”
True, bug zappers kill some mosquitoes, but they’re not very effective at it. Bug zappers attract insects with the big UV light in the middle to attract insects, an approach which works great for some pests. There are two problems with relying on these devices for mosquito control:
- Mosquitoes aren’t attracted to UV light.
- Beneficial insects like bees and butterflies are strongly attracted to UV light.
Hanging a big zapper in your yard will have a significantly higher impact on the population of harmless and helpful insects than on the mosquitoes in your yard.
Do Lawn Foggers Offer Good Mosquito Protection?
Lawn foggers actually do provide reasonably good mosquito protection for a few hours, but with some unintended consequences.
The most effective lawn foggers are the kind you see with a camp-stove propane cylinder attached to the back. They use the heat from a propane flame and a special nozzle to atomize a concentrated insecticide into a dense cloud of fog that can penetrate foliage to kill mosquitoes on contact.
The downside is that the protection from a lawn fogger only lasts a short while. If you fog your yard in the mid-afternoon, you’re only protected until the next morning. After that, the insecticide loses its effectiveness and you’ll see the mosquitoes return quickly.
The other concern is that the insecticides used in lawn foggers isn’t selective. It doesn’t just target mosquitoes, it can kill just about any insect it comes in contact with, including bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.
So, if you’re looking to clear your yard of mosquitoes for just one night, and you aren’t fogging beds of flowers or vegetable gardens where pollinators thrive, a thermal yard fogger can provide temporary relief from mosquitoes.
What Does Work to Provide Long-Term Mosquito Protection?
Unfortunately, in Middle Georgia, there’s absolutely no way to completely eradicate mosquitoes from your outdoor areas, but there are some ways to see a significant reduction in your mosquito population.
Among the best things you can do in the long term is to simply remove the mosquitoes’ breeding grounds. Eradicate standing, stagnant water on your property:
- Fill low spots in your yard where rain tends to collect.
- Make sure that anything left outside is positioned so that it can’t collect water. Turn over empty buckets or flowerpots, make sure tarps and boat covers don’t sag and hold pools of water, etc.
- Use mosquito larvicides in places where standing water is unavoidable or desirable, such as birdbaths.
- Clean out gutters to ensure they keep draining properly and don’t hold water.
- Clear out brush and thickets to remove the cover mosquitoes use to hide.
When you go outside, you can also take basic precautions to avoid getting bitten:
- Wear light-colored clothing with long sleeves and long pants.
- Apply a tested and EPA-approved insect repellent containing DEET or picaridin.
- Avoid outdoor activities in twilight hours when mosquitoes are most active.
What’s the Best Mosquito Control Solution?
The best protection available from mosquitoes is to turn to a trusted local pest control company like National Exterminating. Our mosquito control solutions provide a significant reduction in your mosquito population that lasts for up to a month. For protection that lasts all season long, choose a recurring treatment plan that helps ensure the best possible relief through the late spring, summer, and early fall.
Our licensed technicians apply a persistent pesticide in the high-traffic areas of your yard that help keep mosquitoes at bay. They identify places where mosquitoes may be breeding, eliminate standing water, and offer you guidance on reducing breeding sites. If your mosquito population rebounds before your next scheduled treatment, we’ll come reapply at no cost to you!
Call National Exterminating for Real Mosquito Relief
Forget the candles, oils, and gadgets. If you’re tired of half-measures and short-term fixes, it’s time for professional mosquito control that actually works. National Exterminating has helped homeowners across Middle Georgia reduce mosquito activity and reclaim their outdoor spaces.
Call us today at 478-922-1410 to schedule a mosquito control consultation or learn more about our monthly and seasonal treatment options. We’re ready to help you enjoy your yard again without the bites.
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