Evaluation of the efficacy of 3% citronella candles and 5% citronella incense for protection against field populations of Aedes mosquitoes
Lindsay, L.R.; Surgeoner, G.A.; Heal, J.D.; Gallivan, G.J.
Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 12(2 Pt 1): 293-294
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 8756-971X PMID: 8827606 Document Number: 463315
The efficacy of candles containing 3% oil of citronella [from Cymbopogon sp.] and incense containing 5% citronella in protecting human subjects from bites of Aedes spp. (including 59.2% A. euedes, 12.5% A. vexans, 11.2% A. fitchii and 10.4% A. trivittatus) was assessed under field conditions in a deciduous woodlot in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, from 26 July to 10 August 1995. Eight subjects, dressed identically, were assigned to 1 of 8 positions on a grid within the study area. Two citronella candles, 2 citronella incense, 2 plain unscented candles or no candles (i.e. nontreated controls) were assigned to 2 positions on the grid each evening. Subjects conducted 5-min biting counts at each position and performed 16 biting counts per evening. On average, subjects received 6.2+or-0.4, 8.2+or-0.5, 8.2+or-0.4 and 10.8+or-0.5 bites/5 min at positions with citronella candles, citronella incense, plain candles and no candles, respectively. Although significantly fewer bites were received by subjects at positions with citronella candles and incense than at nontreated locations, the overall reduction in bites provided by the citronella candles and incense was only 42.3 and 24.2%, respectively.