What can I expect from Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles?

Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles contain active repellent ingredients that have a pleasant lemony scent.     The efficacy of our natural mosquito candles is not due to the smoke that is produced by regular citronella candles.   Instead, our natural lemongrass and spearmint oils release into the atmosphere from a melted pool of premium soy wax.     As a result, you will not have smoke or soot to contend with on your clothes or in the air that is normally associated with regular citronella candles and torches.

No natural mosquito repellent will give 100% protection. When using a minimum of two to three Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles around the perimeter of the area you wish to protect, however,  you should achieve a significant reduction in the number of mosquito landings — approximately 75-80%.

Remember, only female mosquitoes bite! They need the protein from human blood in order for their eggs to develop.

What distinguishes Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles from other pesticides?

We are all searching for a NATURAL solution to reduce mosquito bites. But not all natural repellent products are created equal! All insect control products, including mosquito candles, are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Whether the product is natural or not, mosquito repellents are pesticides and manufacturers who are making claims that their products repel mosquitoes must include on their label either  a federal registration number or language that indicates that the product is exempt from federal registration.  Without these labels, pesticide products cannot be legally in the states.

Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles fall under EPA’s special category of insect control products that are exempt from federal registration because they are categorized as minimum risk pesticides, also known as 25(b) products.  In order to qualify as a 25(b) product, all the active and inert ingredients must be approved for use in minimum risk pesticide products.  See links below. In addition, EPA requires special labeling on these 25(b) products. When comparing mosquito repellents, whether natural or synthetic, check the product label to make sure they either have an EPA registration number or have the following language that exempts a minimum risk pesticide from registration: “This product has not been registered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. We [company name] represent that this product qualifies for exemption from registration under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.”

At Bite-Lite®, we are proud of the fact that we have always complied with federal and state regulations.   The federal government periodically reviews its standards for regulating all pesticides in order to ensure that a pesticide’s registration is based on current scientific and other knowledge, including its effects on human health and the environment.    The  latest federal regulations went into effect on February 26, 2019.   Our mosquito repellent candles contain both active and inert ingredients of natural materials which meet the EPA’s criteria exempting them from federal registration.  As required by law, Bite-Lite® also registers its natural mosquito candles in the individual states where our candles are sold and where registrations are required for “EPA exempt” products. (Note: 39 states and the District of Columbia require manufacturers to apply for state registrations when they are making product claims that their candles repel mosquitoes. These registrations must be renewed annually for each product in order for that repellent product to be sold legally in that state. In addition, each state requires strict guidelines on what ingredients and percentages must be on the labels. Bite Lite® has taken the necessary extra steps of registering its natural mosquito repellent candles correctly, and can be legally sold in the U.S. as a 25(b) product.

To ensure that the natural mosquito repellents you purchase do not violate either Federal or State laws, check the label for either a federal EPA registration number or 25b exemption language and then inquire whether these repellent products are registered in the state of purchase. Also, determine if the repellent product is legal by reviewing whether the active and inert ingredients are listed properly on the label.

For the most up to date links on EPA’s criteria for active and inert natural ingredients for repellents as well as general information on 25 b minimum risk pesticides, see:

http://www2.epa.gov/minimum-risk-pesticides

http://www2.epa.gov/minimum-risk-pesticides/active-ingredients-allowed-minimum-risk-pesticide-products

http://www2.epa.gov/minimum-risk-pesticides/inert-ingredients-approved-use-minimum-risk-pesticide-products

 

How do Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles compare to standard citronella candles and other natural candles out there? ?

Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles are more effective at repelling mosquitoes than regular citronella candles. Test results have shown that the active ingredients in Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles repel nearly three (3) times the number of mosquitoes when tested against regular citronella candles.

Natural Citronella Oil itself is not nearly as repellent as natural Spearmint or Lemongrass Oils, the two main constituents in our Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles. It is also interesting to note that many standard citronella candles and torch oils contain only very small amounts of citronella oil, and that whatever repellency they provide is most likely due to the smoke that they produce.

When you purchase Bite-Lite Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles®, you are paying for nearly 7% of natural oils as well as 100% soybean oil wax.    You are also paying for the best fragrance of natural mosquito candles in the industry.  

How does the Bite-Lite® Repellency Evaluation relate to where I live?

The Repellency Evaluation of our natural mosquito candles performed in Florida in 2011 collected 20 species of mosquitoes. Some species of these collected mosquitoes will be the same in your region of the country, but you can never say 100% without looking up your district’s mosquito records. For example, while there are species differences between where the scientific testing of our natural mosquito repellent candle formula occurred and in Suffolk County, NY, at least 75% of the species collected in the control trap in the test area in Florida are also found in Suffolk County. With that said, as a general rule, mosquito repellents are not typically species specific. Spatial repellents, such as candles, work by modifying the behavior of host seeking mosquitoes.

How do I use Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles?

For best results, it is important to light your natural mosquito candles about 20- 30 minutes before going outside.  This allows Bite-Lite’s patent pending Cloak and Scatter® technology to start protecting the area you will be occupying. The prominent active oils– natural spearmint and lemongrass– are released from our natural mosquito repellent candles through evaporation from the hot melted pool of wax that forms after the mosquito candle begins burning.   The sooner you start melting your candle, the sooner the oils will get released into the atmosphere. 

A good rule of thumb is to surround the perimeter of your intended occupied seating area with at least two to three natural repellent candles placed three to six feet apart.  The quantity and placement of these natural mosquito candles will depend on how active the mosquito population is at the time and how many people you are trying to protect.  All natural mosquito repellent candles are most effective when there is little or no wind.

Most mosquitoes rest during the day and come out at dusk. If you begin burning your natural mosquito repellent candles before you plan to sit outdoors or before the mosquitoes become active, the mosquitoes may move away from the space you are trying to protect and not find their way back easily when you go outside. Mosquitoes find you most easily if they are already close and can sense the carbon dioxide from your breath and your body heat.

What are the best and safest practices for burning Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles?

Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles are meant to be burned outdoors.

  • Always keep the wick trimmed before each use. 
  • Always burn the natural mosquito repellent candle long enough for the wax pool to extend close to, or to the edges of the container.  This avoids forming a small well in which the melting wax can drown the wick.   Ideal burn time is no more than 4 hours at a time. 
  • If the wick becomes covered in wax and extinguishes, allow the wax to cool, and then dig out the entire surface of the natural mosquito repellent candle surrounding the wick to re-expose the  wick.
  • On hot days, watch for the wax pool getting too deep. If there is a melted pool more than ½” deep for the entire width of the candle, put the natural mosquito repellent candle out and allow it to cool.
  • Always place your natural mosquito repellent candle on a heat resistant surface and away from combustible materials.
  • Discontinue use when the wax level is about 1/4″ from the bottom of the natural mosquito repellent candle.
  • Be careful handling hot burning candles, and be mindful of hot melted wax.
  • Glass containers are fragile and heat concentrated in one area could cause the glass to break.
  • Votive natural mosquito repellent candles must be burned in a container to allow the pool of melted wax to form and repel.
  • Unused portions of your candles can be discarded normally in the garbage.  

What is Cloak & Scatter® Technology?

Cloak & Scatter® Technology  is the name of Bite-Lite’s patent pending mosquito candle formula.   The name accurately describes  how Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candle products are meant to work.   Certain floral materials seem to interfere with the ability of mosquitoes to find host animals, and some repel mosquitoes.   The natural properties of the Spearmint and Lemongrass Oils found in our Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles act together to keep mosquitoes away.   By placing our mosquito candles around the perimeter of the area you plan to occupy, the repellents will  “cloak” that area and “scatter” or repel the mosquitoes away. 

Where can I purchase Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles?

If you cannot find a store near you, you can order Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles online by going to our Products page and purchasing items with our shopping cart system. We accept PayPal and most major credit cards.

At this time, Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles are not available for sale in Canada.

How can I become a reseller of Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candle?

If you would like to become a reseller of Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles, please contact our Customer Service Department at 855-BITE-LITE (855-248-3548).  The minimum order for each style of mosquito candles is one case. We accept major credit cards. For our credit card form, click here.

We also can set up terms following credit approval. Our terms are Net 30 days from the date of invoice. For our credit application form, click here, call Customer Service, or e-mail us at [email protected].   

Where do I find the MSDS for Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles?

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for our Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles are available for download by clicking this link to the MSDS page.

How do you ship my order?

Shipments of our natural mosquito repellent candles and other insect control products are made from Danbury, Connecticut by common carrier, usually by FedEx Ground.

Who should I contact if I have questions about Bite-Lite® products or my order?

E-mail us at [email protected] or call us toll free at 855-BITE-LITE / 855-248-3548 if you have questions about our natural mosquito candles or your order. Our Customer Service Department is open Monday through Friday between 9:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.   You may also fax us at 877-865-1048 at any time.

What are the active ingredients in Bite-Lite® Natural Mosquito Repellent Candles?

Lemongrass Oil (Cymbopogon citratus) is a genus of about 55 species of grasses, native to warm temperate and tropical regions of the Old World and Oceania. Historically, Lemongrass Oil had been used as a preservative to protect the ancient palm-leaf manuscripts found in India. The oil was used at the Oriental Research Institute Mysore, the French Institute of Pondicherry, the Association for the Preservation of the Saint Thomas Christian Heritage in Kerala, and many other manuscript collections in India. In recent years, the oil has been noted as a pesticide.

Spearmint Oil is an aromatic oil extracted from the spearmint plant, known formally as Mentha spicata.  Like other members of the mint family, spearmint has a very distinctive scent and flavor, and it can be used in a number of ways.  Spearmint oil, among other natural ingredients, has been found to fight off and kill many garden invaders.  And now, the EPA and other groups are coming around to using spearmint oil as an insecticide.

Citronella Oil is derived from a grass typically found in some Asian countries and islands as well as in Africa and assorted Latin American and South American countries.  The oil typically comes from two main varieties of citronella grass (Cymbopogon nardus and Cymbopogon winterianus).  The name citronella refers to the strong lemony smell of the plant stem and leaves as well as its extracted oil.  It is most commonly used as an insect repellent in insect sprays and candles.

What is a Semiochemical?

A Semiochemical (semeon means a signal in Greek) is a generic term used for a chemical substance or mixture that carries a message. These chemicals acts as messengers within or between species.  It is usually used in the field of chemical ecology to encompass pheromones, allomones, kairomones, attractants, and repellents.

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