Educational Resources
Citronella Oil: The Facts from the EPA
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “…if used according to label instructions, citronella is not expected to pose health risks to people, including children and other sensitive populations. Oil of Citronella has been used extensively since 1948 without any reports of adverse effects of concern.” Also, “…Oil of Citronella poses minimal or no risks to wildlife. Because of the low toxicity and limited uses of Oil of Citronella, it is not harmful to the environment. No adverse effects are expected for use around the home.” More Information
Host-Seeking and Blood-Feeding Behavior of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) Exposed to Vapors of Geraniol, Citral, Citronellal, Eugenol or Anisaldehyde
Research has shown that a major component of citronella oil interferes with the ability of mosquitoes to find a victim. More Information
Reported Major Signs and Symptoms Attributed to Exposure to DEET More Information
Mosquitoes and Mosquito Repellents: A Clinician’s Guide
This paper is intended to provide the clinician with the detailed and scientific information needed to advise patients who seek safe and effective ways of preventing mosquito bites. For this review, clinical and analytical data were selected from peer-reviewed research studies and review articles, case reports, entomology texts and journals, and government and industry publications. More Information
Laboratory Evaluation of Toxicity of 16 Insect Repellents in Aerosol Sprays to Adult Mosquitoes
Sixteen commercial insect repellents (6 botanical and 10 synthetic organic products) in spray formulations were evaluated in the laboratory for adult knockdown (KD) and mortality of laboratory-reared female Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, and Anopheles quadrimaculatis. More Information
The Success and Failures of New Natural Repellents, Citronella and Neem Oil, and DEET Repellents in a Natural Environment in Michigan/Wisconsin
Over a period of 56 days, eight different mosquito repellents were tested on a property in upper Michigan. Repellents containing DEET, NEEM oil and citronella were used in order to compare their efficacy. More Information
Lemongrass Oil Info
Lemongrass oil is a powerful insect repellent. It is a good alternative to Deet insect repellents for those sensitive or allergic to Deet, or concerned about Deet’s potential adverse health effects. While botanical oils are generally effective for a shorter duration than Deet, they still cut down on mosquito bites. Lemongrass contains a citronella oil that is even more effective as an insect repellent than true citronella. To use lemongrass as an insect repellent, you can either rub a blend of lemongrass oil (25 percent) and jojoba oil (75 percent) onto your skin, hair and clothing, or you can bend the bottom of a fresh lemongrass stalk until its juices are squeezed out, and rub these juices on your skin, hair and clothing More Information and even more.
Orange Oil Info:
Natural orange oil derived from orange rinds has a multitude of home and commercial applications. In addition to a pleasant scent, this eco-friendly substance has powerful solvent properties. You can purchase cleaners, polishers and air fresheners that contain orange oil, or purchase a vial of the oil at your local natural or homeopathic store to make everything from insect repellent to hand degreaser.
Insect Repellent
Orange extract contains about 92 percent d-limonene, a substance shown to be toxic to insects in laboratory experiments. In a study published in the June 2007 issue of “The Journal of Economic Entomology,” scientists investigated the effects of orange oil extract on subterranean termites. One group was treated with orange oil extract at 5 parts per million, and another with orange oil extract vapors at 10 parts per million. The termites treated with the orange oil extract had a mortality rate of 68 percent after five days, while the termites treated with vapors only had a 15.4 percent mortality rate after three days. The study concluded that, “with a suitable method of application and in combination with other control practices, OOE can be effectively used for the control of subterranean termites.” Howard Garrett, known as the Dirt Doctor, reports that orange oil is an effective method to control fleas, and is often added to pet shampoos for flea and tick removal. Read more
Insect Control
Orange oil is an effective insect eliminator, and is frequently used for killing termites, as the fumes are safe for people and animals.
Use Orange Oil to Kill Insects
Cleaning is not the only thing you can to with orange oil. You can use it as a non-toxic way to rid yourself of ants and other pesky insects! As it turns out, the main ingredient in orange oil can deliver a devastating blow to the ant community. As a matter of fact, there’s even a niche industry that makes orange oil based products that are extremely effective at ending any ant problems you may have.
As well, I can tell you from personal experience that it works to kill – and even keep away – flies too! Just spray orange oil on them and they go down like a deflated balloon. The wonderful thing is that there’s no toxic odors left behind.