Citronella, Zappers or Fans? What Works on Mosquitoes

Do citronella candles work for mosquitoes? A little, and not much more than any candle that makes smoke. Of the three things people try most on a South Florida patio, a fan does the most for the spot where you're sitting, because mosquitoes are weak fliers. Bug zappers kill plenty of insects, but mostly not the mosquitoes biting you. And none of the three touches where mosquitoes rest and breed in the yard, which is what decides how many show up at dusk. Here's what each one does, what it doesn't, and what actually changes a patio.

Do citronella candles work for mosquitoes?

According to AMCA, citronella candles have a mild repellent effect but don't offer much more protection than other candles that produce smoke. In other words, a lot of what you're getting is the smoke, and only close to the flame. On a breezy South Florida evening, that small cloud moves wherever the wind takes it. Light one because you like it, not as your mosquito plan.

Do fans keep mosquitoes away?

This is the one that helps most where you're sitting. Mosquitoes are weak fliers, and AMCA calls a large fan on the deck a low-tech solution. Our own guide for pets and families says the same thing: fans on the lanai make it harder for mosquitoes to fly.

A few tips:

• Aim it across the seating area, not at the ceiling.
• Bigger airflow beats a small desk fan.
• It only covers where the air moves. Step out of the breeze and the mosquitoes are waiting.

How to keep mosquitoes off the patio

Gadgets work on the mosquitoes already flying around you. What changes the patio is fewer mosquitoes hatching and resting nearby.

• Cut the breeding spots. Walk the yard once a week and tip out standing water. Our standing-water checklist covers gutters, saucers, toys and tarps.
• Treat where they rest. In the heat of the day, mosquitoes shelter in shade: hedges, palms, dense plantings, under decks and along lanai edges. Our mosquito control service treats those spots with a backpack fogger.
• Treat the water you can't dump. We use larvicide on breeding spots, so fewer mosquitoes hatch.
• Reach the hidden water. On monthly mosquito plans, larval traps carry a growth regulator, like birth control for insects, to water nobody knew was there.

Having people over? We also do one-time event treatments; see mosquito spray before a party. For how long a treatment holds up, see how long mosquito treatment lasts, and for why there's no off-season here, mosquitoes in November. Keep kids and pets off treated areas until dry, and follow your technician's instructions.

We recommend monthly mosquito service, especially during the rainy season, and the schedule can be customized to your yard. Mosquito pricing is quoted after the FREE inspection. For plan customers: "If pests come back between visits, so do we, at no extra cost." There are no long-term contracts and no cancellation fees, just a simple service agreement. We're family-run and licensed, with 30+ years in the business, and hablamos español. Browse more guides.