Citronella is no match for DEET

Not very. DEET is far more effective and lasts longer.

Citronella works by masking your scent with a strong smell that mosquitoes don’t love. The problem is that smell fades fast—like, within minutes to an hour. You have to reapply constantly, and even then, studies show it’s only about 30-50% as effective as a low-concentration DEET product. In a controlled test, DEET at 10-30% concentration keeps bugs away for several hours. Citronella might give you 20 minutes of relief if you’re lucky.

DEET isn’t perfect—it can melt synthetic fabrics and some people hate the greasy feel—but it’s the gold standard for a reason. The CDC and WHO both recommend it. Citronella is fine for a backyard barbecue if you’re not near standing water, but if you’re hiking or in a place with actual disease risk (Lyme, West Nile, dengue), you want DEET or Picaridin.

If you’re avoiding DEET