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DIY: Scented Candles to Repel Insects, Not Humans

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DIY: Scented Candles to Repel Insects, Not Humans

August 28, 2014

Whenever I catch a whiff of citronella, I’m taken back to family camping trips. We had an oily bug repellent in a sticky brown bottle that we’d pass around–usually well after we’d suffered our first bites–and we’d slather it on until our skin shone. While the citronella oil in the bottle did keep the mosquitoes away, it was repellent to us humans as well. 

As an adult, I’m still interested in keeping mosquitoes at bay (see my post-bite efforts in Stop the Itch: Natural Mosquito Bite Remedies), but less keen on covering my skin with something that smelly. Instead, I like to take a tip from Michelle and surround myself with candles, which sets a mood and deters the bugs.

Most insect-repellent candles on the market are filled with deet or other toxins and reek of citronella. So I decided to make my own scented tea lights that keep pests away without sending dinner guests running. I settled on a woodsy combination of rosemary, geranium, and lavender oils–three scents known for repelling mosquitoes and other insects. Here’s how to make my candles.

Photographs by Erin Boyle for Gardenista.

insect repellent tea lights supplies overhead erin boyle gardenista

Materials

 insect repellent tea lights beeswax double boiler erin boyle gardenista

Above: Use an old knife to break half a pound of beeswax into small pieces that will melt evenly. Fill the bottom pan of your double boiler with water and place the wax in the top pan. Heat until the wax melts. If you’re a stickler for details, use a thermometer; the wax is ready when it reaches about 160°F. A 12-inch Wax and Honey Thermometer is $14.50 from Brushy Mountain Bee Farm.

insect repellent tea lights essential oil erin boyle gardenista

Above: Add several drops of each essential oil to the melted wax. I used a wooden chopstick to stir in rosemary, geranium, and lavender oils. Beeswax has a distinctive smell, so add more than you think you need to make sure your candles are scented enough to repel insects. (If you prefer citronella or another bug-deterring essential oils, swap it in.) 

insect repellent tea lights hot wax erin boyle gardenista 0

Above: Pour the scented wax into the tart tins. (If the pan you’re using doesn’t have a pour spout, consider putting the hot wax into a glass measuring cup or other spouted vessel to help with pouring.) I filled each tin until almost full. N.B.: If you don’t have aluminum molds, you can use glass instead. To avoid shattering the glass, start with a small amount of wax and let it cool a bit before pouring in the rest. 

insect repellent tea lights add wicks erin boyle gardenista

Above: Let the wax cool slightly until a skin starts to form. Then place a pre-assembled tea-light wick (see below) in the center of each mold. The wax will smooth out around the wick as it hardens.

insect repellent tea lights wicks erin boyle gardenista 0

Above: Pre-assembled wicks come already primed (i.e., coated in wax). If yours aren’t coated, you can prime them yourself by dipping them in wax. This ensures a longer burn time.

insect repellent tea lights trim wicks erin boyle gardenista 0

Above: Let the wax harden, then trim the exposed wick to a quarter inch. Use your tea lights during your next outdoor cocktail hour or dinner party under the stars.

insect repellent tea lights tabletop erin boyle gardenista

Above: Each tea light burns four to six hours.

Speaking of dinner parties, see Gardenista’s Steal This Look: The Last Outdoor Dinner of the Season and A Starlit Greenhouse Dinner. Then get on with hosting one of your own.

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