title: Indoor protection against mosquito and sand fly bites: a comparison between citronella, linalool, and geraniol candles.
abstract: The repellent effect of 3 essential-oil-based candles was evaluated in a high biting pressure environment in Israel. In human landing assays, the repellency rate of 5% citronella candles against mosquitoes was 29.0%, of 5% linalool candles was 71.1%, and of 5% geraniol candles was 85.4%. The candles with geraniol were about twice as effective as those with linalool and were about 5 times as effective as citronella candles in protecting a person from being bitten indoors by mosquitoes. The repellency rate of 5% citronella candles towards sand flies was 24.7%, of 5% linalool candles was 55.2%, and of 5% geraniol candles was 79.7%. A geraniol candle was almost 5 times as effective as a citronella candle and about twice as effective as a linalool candle in protecting a person from being bitten indoors by sand flies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Kuvin Centre for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, The Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Günter C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Junnila
authors.forename: Vasiliy D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Kravchenko
authors.forename: Edita E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Revay
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Butlers
authors.forename: Yosef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Schlein
mesh_terms: D000080462:Acyclic Monoterpenes; D000818:Animals; D009033:Culicidae / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007299:Insect Bites and Stings / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007302:Insect Repellents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009032:Mosquito Control / Q000379:methods*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000187:drug effects*; D013729:Terpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000080462:Acyclic Monoterpenes; D007302:Insect Repellents; D039821:Monoterpenes; D010938:Plant Oils; D013729:Terpenes; C018584:linalool; C007836:geraniol; C076730:citronella oil