DIY: Scented Candles to Repel Insects, **t Humans Whenever I catch a whiff of citronella, I’m taken back to family camping trips. We had an oily bug repellent in a sticky brown bottle that we’d pass around—usually well after we’d suffered our first bites—and we'd slather it on until our skin shone. While the citronella oil in the bottle did keep the mosquitoes away, it was repellent to us Humans as well. As an adult, I’m still interested in keeping mosquitoes away ...