10 Candle Scents That Repel Mosquitoes – Guide and Product Picks!

When it comes to repelling mosquitoes, scents are one of your strongest weapons. Some scents that are pleasant to humans turn out to be repulsive for mosquitoes and other insect pests. Also, this is the reason why candle scents that repel mosquitoes are popular to households. It’s a natural and affordable way to drive the mosquitoes away.

If you’re looking for the best candles for mosquitoes, here are our top recommendations:

CANDLE	CANDLE BRAND	EXPERT RATING	CHECK PRICE
	Hyoola Tealight Citronella Candles		Check Price
	Yankee Lemon Lavender Candle Jar		Check Price
	Wax and Oils Soy Lavender Candle		Check Price
	Chesapeake Bay Peppermint, Lemongrass, and Lime Candle		Check Price
	Aroma Naturals Orange , Clove, & Cinnamon Holiday Candle		Check Price

How scented mosquito repellent candles work

Mosquitoes use the scent of your skin and the odor of carbon dioxide to detect a host. So when you light candle scents that repel mosquitoes, it will mask the odor your body emits. This makes detection difficult for mosquitoes.

To understand how scented candles work, we have to understand how the pest behaves.

Moreover, the scent of candles used for mosquito repelling is strong or citrusy. Such smell is overwhelming so mosquitoes tend to fly away. Still, this effect is just a small portion of the overall purpose of scented candles. In the end, it’s more about camouflaging your scent from the bloodsucking bugs and other insects.

Is it effective against mosquitoes?

Yes, candle scents that repel mosquitoes are very effective. Since each one burns for up to 4 hours, you’ll enjoy extended repellence without applying any skin products or spraying synthetic insecticides.

However, candles are only effective up to a certain extent. First of all, it will not kill the mosquitoes, plus it’s a bit limited when it comes to application areas.

If used properly and in less windy areas, this should do the magic for a few hours.

Where to use scented mosquito candles?

Experts recommend using lit scented candles outdoors since it’s an open fire. Nevertheless, you can utilize it indoors away from flammable materials.

You can light some scented candles on your yard, porch, and camping sites. For indoor use, you can use this on your dinner table, bathroom, and living room. The key here is placing the lit candles on stable surfaces and out of children’s reach.

Take note that scented candles aren’t effective on windy areas. Aside from the wind extinguishing the flame, the scent will also be driven away.

Also, never leave lit candles overnight. As much as you want the repellent effect, it’s dangerous if the flame starts a house fire.

If you are to light a scented candle to repel insects, always watch out for curious kids. They may play with the flame and can lead to injuries or damages to your property.  

Candle scents that repel mosquitoes

Scented candles come in various odors. Still, not all of it can repel insects. So to help you out, here are some of the best candle scents that repel mosquitoes. You can use this to make your DIY mosquito candles (recipes below!) or purchase our top picks for hassle-free solutions:

1. Citronella

Citronella is the leading mosquito-repelling scent. Its oil is extracted from lemongrass and distilled to ensure potency. Aside from being an essential oil, citronella oil is widely used on insect repellent sprays and candles.

This has a fresh citrusy scent that will mask your odor from mosquitoes. It’s also a great choice for deodorizing your home after cooking.

Moreover, citronella is effective in blocking all the olfactory senses of mosquitoes. This way, you can expect full repellency for hours. If paired with other repellent methods, you can dodge bites and communicable diseases.

Below, we reviewed the best citronella candle that you can purchase. You can also try our candle recipes down here.

2. Lavender

Lavender is probably one of the most loved scents. Aside from being an aromatherapy staple, it’s also effective in repelling mosquitoes.

If you’re not a fan of citrus scent, you can switch to a mellow lavender odor. There are tons of lavender candles out there; some are even infused with a lemony whiff to boost the repellent effect.

The lavender scent is also a great deodorizer for your home. You might even forget that you’re repelling mosquitoes in the long run.

Lighting a lavender candle will help repel mosquitoes, make you feel relaxed, and even help you doze off easily. It’s a versatile choice for many purposes.

3. Lemon Balm

Lemon balm belongs to the mint family and is also an ideal scent to ward off mosquitoes. The interesting fact about this scent is that insect pests hate it while beneficial insects like butterflies and bees are attracted to it.

Moreover, this has a lemony scent but with a hint of mint. It’s both refreshing and relaxing at the same time. Actually, lemon balm looks like an enlarge mint plant. This will also help those with anxiety and depression, thanks to its calming effect.

Aside from being a candle ingredient, lemon balm is widely used as a medication for various conditions.

4. Peppermint

Mosquitoes hate minty scents, which is why the likes of peppermint and eucalyptus are effective in repelling the insect. Meanwhile, peppermint candles are also effective in relaxing the mind and body. On the side, it will work as an insect repellent by masking your body scents.

Peppermint oil is widely used as an ingredient to insect repellent sprays and lotions. If infused on candles, it will be diffused into the air and fill your room with the fresh scent.

It’s also a great solution to the entry points of mosquitoes. You can actually light a peppermint candle on your window pane with the window open.

5. Clove

Cloves aren’t just delicious herbs. Its scent is also powerful in repelling mosquitoes. Also, the oil of this spice was proven to repel mosquitoes as well as other garden pests.

Undiluted clove oil can repel mosquitoes for up to four hours. Meanwhile, it’s being used as a candle ingredient. When lit, the essential oil will be diffused and block the olfactory senses of mosquitoes, bugs, and other insects that uses carbon dioxide as a cue for a host.

Real cloves can be used on drive away ants, moths, flies, and other household insect pests.

6. Cedarwood

Cedarwood isn’t just a termite-proof wood. Its oil is also effective in repelling mosquitoes if diffused through a candle or a diffuser. In some countries, cedarwood is used to keep mosquitoes from clothes. It’s also used on incense to repel insect pests.

To boost the repellent properties of cedarwood oil, some people blend it with lemongrass oil. Moreover, you can find candles with these oils mixed together. Also, many like its woodsy whiff that gives a calming and sophisticated odor indoors.

Aside from that, cedarwood oil is a traditional remedy for respiratory problems. It has a soothing effect that can reduce the symptoms of bronchitis and colds.

7. Rose geranium

Rose geranium is popular as a potent tick repellent. This is a perennial shrub that bears pink flowers as well as pointy leaves. It’s native in South Africa but many commercial insect repellent products in the U.S. are infused with its.

Moreover, the rose geranium oil is a powerful bug and mosquito arsenal. When diffused, it will send the critters flying and crawling away. Also, you can apply the oil directly to your pet’s fur while avoiding the face area. This will keep them safe from bloodsucking pests like ticks and mosquitoes.

You can find rose geranium candles to use on your home. It’s efficient in repelling the mosquitoes for hours.

8. Marigold

Marigold is popular for its vibrant color. Also, its plant is an effective mosquito repellent. If planted on your yard, it will discourage the harborage of mosquitoes and other insect pests.

In fact, Marigold’s scent can be overwhelming for humans so there’s no doubt that it will be pungent for mosquitoes too. Nevertheless, Marigold oil is usually blended with other essential oil to make it more appealing for home use.

Aside from that, you can also plant Marigold on your garden and pick some flowers so you can display it indoors.

9. Rosemary

Rosemary is a very flavorful herb that’s useful both in the kitchen and in repelling mosquitoes. It’s a very versatile plant that can be used for a variety of purposes – from cooking, repelling insects, and soothing health problems.

Crushing rosemary is enough to keep the mosquitoes away. But to boost its effect, lighting a rosemary scented candle will ensure that the mosquitoes won’t smell your skin.

In addition, rosemary is a widely used ingredient for lotions, shampoos, and other topical products. It’s safe to use and its myriad of health benefits makes it an irresistible option.

10. Cinnamon

Cinnamon isn’t only a topper for your oatmeal or applesauce. It’s also effective in repelling mosquitoes naturally.

According to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, cinnamon oil is more effective than DEET in killing mosquito larvae.

Moreover, insects find the smell of cinnamon overpowering, which blocks their olfactory senses when detecting potential hosts.

Aside from this benefit, cinnamon will also give your home a nice scent with a tone of spice and wood. Below, we’ve reviewed a cinnamon candle infused with orange and clove. It’s perfect for relaxation and keeping the mosquitoes away at the same time.

If you’re a fan of woodsy and deep-scented candles, cinnamon blends would be the ideal choice.

Recipes for DIY Scented Candles for Mosquitoes

Are you a crafty person? If so, you can try making your own scented candles with the use of some of the essential oils we’ve mentioned above. You can also send the homemade candles as gifts to your friends this coming holiday. Anyway, if you wish to skip the hassle, we have 5 candle picks below that you can purchase directly.

Recipe 1: Sweet Citrus

For this, you’re going to blend equal parts of citronella, lavender, lemongrass, cedarwood, and rosemary oils. Since citronella and lemongrass oils both have similar contents, you can reduce the amount of any of the two if you don’t have a very citrusy scent.

Mix this blend on the candle wax and let the candle dry. After that, light it up and enjoy the relaxing whiff of citrus with a hint of sweet lavender and a base note of cedarwood.

Recipe 2: Clove and Cinnamon blend

If you love cinnamon and you also want the spice of clove, you can combine both essential oils in one candle. Clove’s fruity spice combines very well with the hot spice nature of cinnamon. This is a great smell for relaxation and masking your scent from the mosquitoes.

Aside from the evident spice, you’ll also pick up hints of woodsy odor and sweetness. Overall, this recipe is also great in easing nasal blockages.

Recipe 3: Citrus green

If you want a citrusy scent with a deep tone of wood, you can mix 2 parts of citronella, 2 parts of cedarwood and 1 part each of rosemary and eucalyptus oil.

This will give a woodsy scent with relaxing citrus with a hint of light mint. It’s also a little smoky, but in a fragrant way.

Recipe 4: Mild floral

For this scent, you can mix equal parts of lavender, citronella, rose geranium, and rosemary. This will give off the nice floral tones of rose geranium and lavender balanced with the right amount of citrus and evergreen.

You can also reduce the amount of citronella to accentuate the floral scent.

These are just some of the scents you can try for your candle experiment. If you’re wondering if you can blend vanilla oils in it, we suggest that you don’t. Remember, mosquitoes are attracted to sweet scents since they feed on nectar. The vanilla scent may counteract the repelling power of the essential oils we listed above.

Anyway, if you just want an aromatic candle sans the repelling effect, there’s no problem about using vanilla and other sweet scents.

Top 5 Candle Scents that Repel Mosquitoes

If you don’t have the time to concoct your own candle scents that repel mosquitoes, you can purchase these top picks. We’ve tested these candles and we guarantee the efficiency of each one when it comes to repelling the insects. And take note, they all smell great!

OUR TOP PICK: Hyoola Tealight Citronella Candles

Product Name: Hyoola Tealight Citronella Candles

Product Description: If you’re looking for the most powerful candle to repel mosquitoes, you’ll never go wrong with the Hyoola Tealight Citronella Candle. It has the natural scent of citronella plant that you can use outdoors. Each piece of this 1.5” in diameter candle burns for 4 hours, giving you extended protection. Aside from that, these yellow candles also give a mellow vibe if used indoors. You can also use it on BBQ nights as a decorative element while repelling insects at the same time. It fits on standard centerpiece candle holders and votive.

Offer price: $$$

Availability: InStock

• GET IT NOW!

• Repellent effect
• Burn time
• Value for money

Overall

5

Summary

These candles are available in 50 or 100-pack versions which are both extremely affordable. You can now place these candles all over your property. And when you’re headed for a camping weekend, pack some of these candles so you can use it during dinner time to repel biting insects.

Pros

✔️Each piece lasts for up to 4 hours

✔️Very affordable

✔️Fits on votive and centerpieces

Cons

❌Not effective for bugs, but works well for mosquitoes

RUNNERS-UP

Yankee Lemon Lavender Candle Jar

If you’re not a fan of extremely citrus scents, you can try the Yankee Lemon Lavender Candle Jar. It has a clean and floral scent that’s both relaxing and insect repelling.

Moreover, this 22-ounce jar will burn for up to 150 hours. It’s also made from high-quality mineral wax and pure essential oils that will burn consistently and with very little waste. The wax undergoes a special heating and cooling process that gives a nice mottled effect on the candle.

It also has a natural fiber wick that will burn perfectly to unleash the fragrance.

Aside from lavender, this candle jar is also available in passionfruit martini, blueberry, juicy watermelon, and more delicious flavors.

We love its true scent that really wafts inside the room. It’s not overpowering, though, and just the right whiff to help you relax while repelling the mosquitoes.

Wax and Oils Soy Lavender Candle

If you want a pure lavender scent, the Wax and Oils Soy Lavender Candle is a great choice. This is made from floral and herbaceous lavender blended with a hint of patchouli and cedarwood. It gives a mild woodsy scent that compliments the odor of lavender.

This is made as an aromatic candle, but it’s equally powerful in repelling mosquitoes. What we like the most here is that the wax is made of a soy-based material. It doesn’t have paraffin, mineral wax, petroleum, beeswax, or other animal ingredients.

In fact, the soy ingredient actually adds more repellent effect against mosquitoes. As the scent sticks to your skin, mosquitoes who will try to bite will find it unappealing to the taste.

Also, this candle is very wholesome since it’s free of pesticides, artificial preservatives, or herbicides. If you’re an eco-friendly type, you’ll love that its packaging is 100% recycled. It comes in a nice brown box that you can also wrap as a gift.

Chesapeake Bay Peppermint, Lemongrass, and Lime Candle

For those who like the refreshing scent of peppermint and the clean hint of lemongrass and lime, the Chesapeake Candle is the right choice. This is made from pure soy wax infused with pure essential oils for the highest quality and the best burn.

Moreover, this candle has a lead-free wick. Also, this 8.8-ounce candle burns for up to 54 hours, giving you days of protection from the pesky mosquitoes.

In addition, we like the layered glass candle design and the color sprayed container. When lit, the candle gives a soothing glow. But most of all, it repels the insects.

Aside from this blend, the Chesapeake candle is also available in scents like Eucalyptus & Petitgrain, Ylang-Ylang, Lemon, & Cedarwood, and Lavender & Sage, that all repel mosquitoes.

Take note that this has a subtle scent compared to other candles we’ve reviewed here. It’s best used on smaller rooms so you can concentrate the scent-masking within a small area.

Aroma Naturals Orange, Clove, & Cinnamon Holiday Candle

If you want a deep and spicy scent, try the Aroma Naturals Orange, Clove, & Cinnamon Candle. It’s a 2.5” x 4” pillar candle that burns for up to 50 hours. Also, it uses a cotton wick with no lead for the best burn.

Aside from that, it uses a vegetable soy wax blend that burns consistently sans the harm of paraffin wax.

What we like the most is its synthetic fragrance from pure essential oils. It has a woodsy, fruity, and smoky odor that blends well together. It’s very relaxing plus it’s really great in masking your scent from mosquitoes.

This is a non-GMO, non-gluten, and cruelty-free product that will let you enjoy a guilt-free scent. It’s made for aromatherapy, but it works well in repelling some insects too.

It smells amazing and you just want to lie down and play a soft jazz music while this candle is burning. It also evokes a smell of Christmas in our opinion. Lastly, this candle has the right scent level that works outdoors but not overpowering indoors.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: What kinds of candles repel mosquitoes?

A: Citrus-scented candles like citronella and lemon balm are powerful against mosquitoes. Also, old-time favorites like lavender and cinnamon are also great choices in masking your scent from the biting insects.

Q: Are citronella candles safe?

A: Yes, citronella candles are non-toxic and safe to use. As long as you keep the lit candles away from flammable materials, there’s no problem about using this type of repellent against mosquitoes.

Q: Is it OK to burn citronella candles indoors?

A: If the room isn’t ventilated and contains too much fabric (curtains, table clothes, etc.), it may not be a good idea to light citronella candles regularly. The citrus scent it gives off isn’t easy to remove from fabrics and the secondary aerosol emitted during burning could be a bit suffocating if not aerated well.

Q: Are candles bad for you?

A: If you have asthma and other serious respiratory problems, lighting candles might be disadvantageous. Nevertheless, there are scents known to ease nasal clogging and other mild respiratory problems. As long as you don’t obsess about sniffing the fumes, candles should be safe for you.

Q: Is lavender safe for dogs?

A: Yes, as long as the dog won’t ingest it. In fact, applying a few drops of lavender oil on the pet’s bedding may help in calming it down. The rule of thumb here is to consult a veterinarian if you have pets and you’re planning to use scented candles to repel mosquitoes.

Final words

Candle scents that repel mosquitoes work with two purposes: warding off the insects and deodorizing your home. There are many blends that you can choose from to achieve the odor and result that you want. Aside from keeping your skin safe from the bites, scented candles also serve as an aromatherapy for relaxation.

What do you think of our candle options here? Do you have a favorite scent? Let us know below!