Editing Citronella oil (section)

==Insect repellent==
[[File:Repellency of lemongrass oil against stable flies - Figure 2.tif|thumb|Video tracking of a [[stable fly]], demonstrating repellency of citronella oil <ref name="Baldacchino">{{cite journal |doi=10.1051/parasite/2013021 |title=The repellency of lemongrass oil against stable flies, tested using video tracking |year=2013 |last1=Baldacchino |first1=Frédéric |last2=Tramut |first2=Coline |last3=Salem |first3=Ali |last4=Liénard |first4=Emmanuel |last5=Delétré |first5=Emilie |last6=Franc |first6=Michel |last7=Martin |first7=Thibaud |last8=Duvallet |first8=Gérard |last9=Jay-Robert |first9=Pierre |journal=Parasite |volume=20 |pages=21 |pmid=23759542 |pmc=3718533 }}</ref>
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Citronella oil is used especially as a [[mosquito]] repellent,<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1111/j.1748-5967.2005.tb00146.x |title=Evaluation of Repellency Effect of Two Natural Aroma Mosquito Repellent Compounds, Citronella and Citronellal |year=2005 |last1=Kim |first1=Jeong-Kyu |last2=Kang |first2=Chang-Soo |last3=Lee |first3=Jong-Kwon |last4=Kim |first4=Young-Ran |last5=Han |first5=Hye-Yun |last6=Yun |first6=Hwa Kyung |journal=Entomological Research |volume=35 |issue=2 |pages=117–20|s2cid=85112045 }}</ref> particularly for ''[[Aedes aegypti]]''  ([[dengue fever]] mosquito).<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1002/ptr.1637 |title=Comparative repellency of 38 essential oils against mosquito bites |year=2005 |last1=Trongtokit |first1=Yuwadee |last2=Rongsriyam |first2=Yupha |last3=Komalamisra |first3=Narumon |last4=Apiwathnasorn |first4=Chamnarn |journal=Phytotherapy Research |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=303–9 |pmid=16041723|s2cid=23425671 }}</ref> Research also indicates that citronella oil is an effective repellent for [[body louse|body lice]], [[head louse|head lice]], and [[stable fly|stable flies]].<ref name="Baldacchino" /><ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1111/j.1570-7458.1996.tb00795.x |title=Repellency of essential oils and their components to the human body louse, Pediculus humanus humanus |year=1996 |last1=Mumcuoglu |first1=Kosta Y. |last2=Galun |first2=Rachel |last3=Bach |first3=Uri |last4=Miller |first4=Jacqueline |last5=Magdassi |first5=Shlomo |journal=Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata |volume=78 |issue=3 |pages=309–14|s2cid=84889511 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |pmid=15609890 |url=http://www.ima.org.il/IMAJ/ViewArticle.aspx?year=2004&month=12&page=756 |year=2004 |last1=Mumcuoglu |first1=KY |last2=Magdassi |first2=S |last3=Miller |first3=J |last4=Ben-Ishai |first4=F |last5=Zentner |first5=G |last6=Helbin |first6=V |last7=Friger |first7=M |last8=Kahana |first8=F |last9=Ingber |first9=A|display-authors=3 |title=Repellency of citronella for head lice: Double-blind randomized trial of efficacy and safety |volume=6 |issue=12 |pages=756–9 |journal=The Israel Medical Association Journal }}</ref> A study conducted by [[Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency|DARPA]] in 1963 determined that hydroxycitronellal was an effective repellent against both aquatic and terrestrial [[leeches]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/413979.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418063847/http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/413979.pdf|archive-date=18 April 2015|title=Dtic.mil}}</ref> 

Citronella candles (which burn wax mixed with citronella oil) are not effective at repelling mosquitos such as Aedes aegypti, the species of mosquito responsible for spreading dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika fever, Mayaro and yellow fever viruses, and other disease agents.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Pearson |first=Gwen |date=2017-02-16 |title=Want to repel mosquitoes? Don’t use citronella candles |url=http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/02/want-repel-mosquitoes-don-t-use-citronella-candles |journal=Science |doi=10.1126/science.aal0773 |issn=0036-8075|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rodriguez |first=Stacy D. |last2=Chung |first2=Hae-Na |last3=Gonzales |first3=Kristina K. |last4=Vulcan |first4=Julia |last5=Li |first5=Yiyi |last6=Ahumada |first6=Jorge A. |last7=Romero |first7=Hector M. |last8=De La Torre |first8=Mario |last9=Shu |first9=Fangjun |last10=Hansen |first10=Immo A. |date=2017-01-01 |title=Efficacy of Some Wearable Devices Compared with Spray-On Insect Repellents for the Yellow Fever Mosquito, Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) |url=https://academic.oup.com/jinsectscience/article/17/1/24/2996380?login=false |journal=Journal of Insect Science |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=24 |doi=10.1093/jisesa/iew117 |issn=1536-2442}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=FAQs What can homeowners do to reduce mosquito bites |url=https://www.mosquito.org/faqs/# |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=American Mosquito Control Association |language=en-US}}</ref>

Although direct application of citronella oil to the skin is non-toxic, its use was not recommended as a [[topical medication|topical]] [[insect repellent]] in Canada in 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news2/background/consumers/citronella.html |title=Citronella FAQs |publisher=CBC|date=26 September 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |vauthors=Bond C, Buhl K, Stone D |title=Oil of citronella: General fact sheet |url=http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/citronellagen.html |publisher=US National Pesticide Information Center, Oregon State University Extension Services |access-date=6 November 2023 |date=2013}}</ref> [[Health Canada]] banned use of citronella oil as an insect repellent in 2012, but lifted the ban in February 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/citronella-bug-spray-makes-comeback-after-public-pressure-1.2962142|date=19 February 2015|accessdate=6 November 2023 |title=Citronella bug spray makes comeback after public pressure |last=Harris |first=Sophia |publisher=CBC }}</ref>