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Citronella candle has great efficiency to ward off mosquitoes and still leaves a good aroma in the home environment

Mosquitoes, flies, black flies, horseflies, mosquitoes, among others, are insects that have in common the incredible ability to “buzz” in our ears and form swelling balls in the parts of our bodies that suffer from their bites. As a solution to ward off mosquitoes, many people use insecticides, repellents and detoxifiers. However, these chemicals are very harmful to health and the environment. They even contribute to the internal pollution of the house worse than the external pollution itself.

To replace these toxic products, try making a citronella candle. It has the same efficiency as traditional harmful chemicals, is a natural repellent and still leaves a pleasant smell in your home.

Citronella is an aromatic plant that is non-toxic and is known to be a natural repellent because of its strong citrus aroma. From the stem and leaves, it is possible to extract oils that contain these properties. Widely used in waterfalls to scare away mosquitoes, citronella oil can be mixed with other natural aromas, such as eucalyptus or cinnamon essential oils. Check out the step-by-step instructions on how to ward off mosquitoes by making a citronella candle:

Ingredients

• Wax flakes (can be purchased at a craft store);
• A pair of hashi;
• Preserved jars;
• candle wicks;
• Citronella essential oil;
• two pans or one double boiler;
• Hot glue or duct tape.

Procedure

1. Select the canning jars in which you will place the citronella candles. Then insert the candle wick into the bottom of each jar, securing it with the help of tape or hot glue;

2. After the wicks are attached, keep the jars inside the oven, at the minimum temperature, until the wax is ready to be introduced into them. Hot jars will ensure that the wax cools evenly and will prevent any setbacks that may arise due to the high temperature of the wax when it is introduced into the jars;

3. Flake wax loses much of its volume when heated and transmuted into solid form. Therefore, set aside about two cups of product for each candle you will create (as flaked wax loses about half its volume when it becomes solid, add a larger amount of product if using a very large bottle) ;

4. The task now is to melt the wax. For this, use a pan double boiler (as in the photo below) or use the bain marie technique, using two pans. In the bottom one, just put water. In the top one, insert the wax flakes and a little water. Then just turn on the fire to start the process;

5. Add about three drops of citronella essential oil to each cup of wax flake in the mixture;

6. After the wax is completely melted, pour the mixture into the jars (to make colored waxes, as in the case of the blue one below, insert pieces of crayon when melting the wax flakes). To avoid submerging the wicks, secure them with chopsticks so they stay centered;

7. Once the candles have cooled, cut the wicks to about an inch or less from the surface of the candle;

8. After following these steps, your citronella candle will be ready to ward off mosquitoes. Now just choose a place to put them and light them. The look is nice, the aroma is too and it's a great way to get rid of mosquitoes!

Check out eight tips to scare away mosquitoes without harmful chemicals: