Mystery of the Mosquito Plant

In the case of citronella candles, users may find that they do not always work as advertised. Why? In this case, the potency and volatility of essential oils is to blame among other things. Well, that and the lies we've been told about how citronella works to repel pests.

Since summer has begun plants have been placed outside for sale - among those plants is usually the "mosquito plant" less commonly known by its scientific name: Pelargonium citrosum. Some citronella candles contain oil from the "mosquito plant" to help repel them. Contrary to its name, the Pelargonium citrosum, also marketed as a citronella plant, it is not a citronella plant. In fact, the infamous "mosquito plant" is actually a geranium and is in a different family than lemongrass, citronella grass, and the citronella tree (and shrubs). The "mosquito plant" is commonly confused as a true citronella plant because it does have a relatively strong citron (or lemon-y) smell on its leaves and during summer months gets marketed as a citronella plant. If you have owned one of these "mosquito plant" you may have noticed that they do not exactly work as advertised and that mosquitoes will even land on the leaves for a little break before they turn around to bite you.

If the oil used to make citronella candles does not come from these plants, where does it come from? Interestingly enough, the oil used to make the citronella candles comes from citronella grass, which is a completely different plant (similar to and also confused with lemongrass which is also used in citronella candles). So, what in the citronella candle is actually keeping the mosquitoes away? The smoke and the heat is what it is. In other words, you could take your favorite candle outside and it would be just as effective as using a citronella candle.

Does "real" citronella or lemongrass repel mosquitoes and other pests? Unfortunately, it seems that all lemongrass does is attract bees. Like citronella grass and the mosquito plant, lemongrass also has a citron scent to it, but unlike the other two plants, lemongrass oil imitates the pheromone honey bees emit to attract the swarm. So, if you're interested in beekeeping, having a few lemongrass plants near the bee hives may be helpful. What about true citronella shrubs and trees? Unfortunately, they too are not known to repel pests either.

Are there any plants that repel pests or have we all been fooled by ads? Fortunately, the answer is yes- there are plants that naturally repel pets to a certain extent. For example, mint. You might also have noticed that mint appears in a lot of "natural" or "organic" pest repellents and that is because it does in fact repel roaches, some spiders, and ants. Before you plant mint in your yard, know that mint grows aggressively and will readily take over any space it is given to the detriment of the other inhabitants. There are other plants that are known to repel pests as well, but mint seems to be the cheapest and easiest to maintain. So, it may be worth trying to include mint in your yard or garden this summer!

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