Citronella

I have been looking into citronella. Not because I know much about it — I do not. But that is usually the best place to start.

I read through a bunch of notes, found some things worth passing along, plus a few product recommendations, and figured I would share what stood out.

Here is what I found.

Things to Know

• → Citronella is not your wasp solution.
• → Skip the citronella. Use lemon eucalyptus.
• → Citronella works best when diluted and reapplied often.
• → It’s the smoke, not the citronella, that’s the real problem
• → Don’t put citronella in your diffuser.

Stuff to Buy

• ↗ Weber Original Kettle Premium 22-inch — The gold standard charcoal grill.
• ↗ Lodge 12-Inch Cast Iron Skillet — Lasts forever. Gets better with age.
• ↗ ThermoPro TP20 Digital Meat Thermometer — Remote reading so you don’t have to stand next to the fire.

Archived from the Work Notes Daily Edition — 2026-07-24