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Citronella coil vs pyrethrum coil

Updated: 22 October 2026

You are looking at a scented spiral and a box that says pyrethrum, and both promise fewer mosquitoes. Choose citronella when you want a scented outdoor spiral and can accept a modest effect. Choose a pyrethrum pack here only with your eyes open: the two listings that use the word print no percentage. If you need a named pyrethroid on the label, leave this comparison. The [mosquito coil comparison](/hub/pest-control/mosquito-coil) mixes both kinds in one grid. Peter F., editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk, separated them from the amazon.co.uk pages captured on 21 October 2026. He did not assay the smoke. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are looking at a scented spiral and a box that says pyrethrum, and both promise fewer mosquitoes. Choose citronella when you want a scented outdoor spiral and can accept a modest effect.

Our top picks

Not stated Citronella spiral, 10 with holder

Best overall

Not stated Citronella spiral, 10 with holder
8.8/10about £5.99
View offer
Anbar Anbar citronella coils, 24

Best value

Anbar Anbar citronella coils, 24
7.4/10about £6.95
View offer
2you 2you pyrethrum coils, 20

Alternative

2you 2you pyrethrum coils, 20
6.6/10about £6.49
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Scent coil or insecticide smoke
  2. 2.Which packs in this comparison are which
  3. 3.What the bite studies actually measured
  4. 4.The gap on the 2you label
  5. 5.When to pick which

Scent coil or insecticide smoke

Citronella on these packs is a plant-scent claim. The smoke is still smoke. A coil that says it keeps mosquitoes away is doing repellent work, even when the ingredient is an oil. Pyrethrum is the extract of chrysanthemum flowers. The US ATSDR statement describes six insecticidal compounds in that extract, the pyrethrins. Prallethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid, not another name for pyrethrum, and it often lasts longer in a formulation than the plant extract. Insecticide coils are sold to knock insects down. Citronella coils are sold to repel or to cut bites. Both still make smoke. The word on the tin is not the dose. A percentage, or the absence of one, is what you can check on amazon.co.uk.

Which packs in this comparison are which

Four listings are citronella: the 10-piece pack at £5.99 (4.2 from 2,081), Anbar's 24 at £6.95 (4.1 from 88), ANGIX's 10 at £4.99 (3.2 from 10), and CKB at £14.99 (2.9 from 11). Those four are outdoor, except the 10-piece page, which asks about indoors and does not answer. The pyrethrum claim is the two 2you boxes: 20 coils at £6.49 (4.0 from 39) and 40 at £9.95 (3.8 from 19). Both say about 4 hours, name the chrysanthemum, give Ireland as origin, and say indoor and outdoor. Neither prints a percentage or an HSE number. The citronella rows do not either. How to read that gap is on the mosquito coil buying guide.
Not stated Citronella spiral, 10 with holder

Testsieger

Not stated Citronella spiral, 10 with holder
8.8/10about £5.99
View offer

What the bite studies actually measured

Lindsay and colleagues, in 1996, reported about 24% fewer Aedes bites with 5% citronella incense. That trial was not these four tins. Jensen and colleagues, in 2000, found pyrethroid smoke coils reduced landings, and that topical DEET did better. Those coils were not a 2you box with a blank strength. None of that means the £5.99 tin will cut your bites by a quarter.

The gap on the 2you label

The 2you pages say pyrethrum, mention the chrysanthemum, and stop. You cannot tell 0.1% from 1% from the text we captured. On the 20-coil box, some buyers report fewer bites on holiday. Others say the pairs snap, or that the coil feels like cardboard. On the 40-coil box, notes include aphids in a greenhouse, more flies in a conservatory, and a poor comparison with coils from Greece. Cardboard is a product complaint, not an assay. Both kinds of coil here make smoke. If you need the dose, these boxes are not the end of the search. Who still rates well is on best mosquito coils.

When to pick which

For a sheltered patio, buy citronella if you can tolerate a modest, uneven effect. The 10-piece pack has the review sample. Anbar has more coils for the money. If you want a percentage on the packet, do not stop at 2you. A prallethrin coil that prints a strength, such as Lifesystems outside this grid, shows what that label looks like. It is an illustration, not a winner we scored. Skip both if a cat will be in the smoke. The RSPCA warns that permethrin in dog spot-ons is a severe poison for cats. That is a pyrethroid, not the word on the 2you box, and it is still a reason to refuse animal friendly as a bullet with no species and no dose. Lighting and tents are on how to use a mosquito coil.

Common questions

Is citronella an insecticide?
On these listings it is a named scent, not a printed insecticide strength. A title that says the coil keeps mosquitoes away is still a repellent claim. A missing authorisation number is not proof the pack is outside the rules, and it is not proof it is approved.
Is pyrethrum the same as prallethrin?
No. Pyrethrum is the chrysanthemum extract, and its insecticidal parts are the pyrethrins. Prallethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid. The 2you boxes say pyrethrum and print no percentage. A maker page with a stated prallethrin strength is a different product from these two boxes.
Will citronella stop bites on a still patio?
Do not expect it to stop them. The 1996 trial of 5% citronella incense reported about a quarter fewer Aedes bites, in that trial, not on these ASINs. Shoppers often say an evening felt calmer. Others, especially with Scottish midges, say it did little. A breeze takes the plume away.
Does the 2you box prove a dose?
No. Both the 20-coil and the 40-coil listings name pyrethrum and leave the strength blank. Ireland as origin, a burn claim of about 4 hours, and review samples of 39 and 19 are not a printed concentration.
Which is safer around a cat?
Neither smoke is a product we can call safe for a cat. The RSPCA's severe-poison warning is about permethrin dog spot-ons, a related synthetic, not a test of these coils. Keep cats and fish out of the smoke. If a cat drools or trembles after an insecticide product, phone a vet.
What if neither listing shows an HSE number?
Then you do not have an authorisation code to copy, on the citronella packs or on the 2you packs. HSE says a missing list entry is not always an offence while an active is in transition. Absence here is a limit on the page, not a verdict.

Related pages

Mosquito coil

Best mosquito coils: largest sample, then the value

Mosquito coil buying guide: six checks on the label

How to use a mosquito coil: split, light, and put out

Mosquito coils for a patio evening or a camping trip

Sources

Public UK and study sources used for this comparison. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures captured for these six listings. Last checked 21 October 2026.

  1. GOV.UK native mosquitoes (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. UKHSA invasive mosquito surveillance (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. NHS malaria (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. HSE biocidal product authorisation (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. Liu and colleagues, mosquito coil emissions (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. Kongkaew and colleagues, citronella versus DEET (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. Lindsay and colleagues, citronella incense (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. RSPCA cat poisoning (retrieved 21 October 2026)