What exactly is Citronella?

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   AEvansposted 13 years ago

   What exactly is Citronella?
   
   How does Citronella ward off mosquitoes, flies, etc. What exactly is Citronella and what causes it to eliminate pesty flying bugs?

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2. 82

   BlossomSBposted 13 years ago

   It's an oil made from citrus fruit, lemons, I think.
   My Grandma used to dab it onto her skin in the summer evenings to ward off the mosquitoes when she wanted to sit out of doors.

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      AEvansposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      BlossonSB: That is amazing! I never knew you could also place it on your skin. We use candles on our patio and I honestly thought it was some type of chemical. lolo! Glad to know it's natural.

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3. 66

   conradofontanillaposted 13 years ago

   AEvans,
   It is also called lemongrass. It contains oil with ingredient called terpense. The oil  lends fragrance to soap. The oil is also an insect repellant that is why it is used in organic agriculture.

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      AEvansposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I did not know that. The question has been bugging me for a long time. Thanks so much for answering it.

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4. 61

   Teylinaposted 13 years ago

   Citronella is an oil, and, frankly, I don't think there's anything better out there for repelling mosquitoes. It is, if I'm not mistaken, has lemongrass in it, but it's a combo and I think I remember my grandfather telling me it began with tung oil and the leftover oil from sugar cane. Our family went back to the early 1800's, and I just took his word for it. Now I'm curious...think it included the skin from some citrus. I'm no chemist, so I'll be interested in these answers.

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      AEvansposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Teylina: All of the answers including yours is correct. I never knew what it was made from. We have them in our backyard and finally I have gotten answers. Thanks to everyone on HP.

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