Citronella Candles make eating outside more enjoyable

One of the great things about having our own house is that I no longer have to walk down two flights of stairs and then around to the back of an unlit building to try to grill my food. This summer, we went through about a tank and a half of propane grilling our dinners. We also ate outside a few times, which meant that the local insect population got to have a pretty good go at us.

Citronella candles certainly make eating outside much more enjoyable, especially now that it is getting darker earlier and twilight is much more likely to come while we are outside. The citronella candles keep most of the insects away. About the only thing that is not bothered by them seems to be the ants, which are much fewer and farther between lately.

Citronella candles are basically smoky candles that repel mosquitos. They are not really meant for indoor use, and I hope that you do not need them indoors. They usually come in jars that allow the wax to melt and create a pool at the bottom so that more of the oils can get released into the smoke as the wick burns. I do not have a sense of smell so I can not tell you if they smell good or not, but they do the job of keeping me from getting eaten alive.

I tend to light two for each end of our patio table, and then put one on the railing next to our grill and one on the railing behind the table. This seems to keep the mosquitos from getting into the immiediate area of food preparation or consumption, which are right next to one another. There do not seem to be a lot that come from the house side of the circle, which is not as well protected from the smoke.

We also make use of the candles by leaving them on the bumper of my pickup truck next to the tailgate when we go to the drive in. Just be prepared to put them out if somebody complains that they are too bright. I have not had anybody do that yet, but it is always a possibility.