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How to use a mosquito coil

Updated: 22 October 2026

The pack is on the table, the spirals are stuck together in pairs, and you want the smoke near the chairs rather than in the kitchen. This is how to use a mosquito coil once you already own one: split it slowly, light the outer tip, blow the flame out, and keep the ember outdoors on a stand you can still see. The [mosquito coil comparison](/hub/pest-control/mosquito-coil) is only the product grid. Peter F., editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk, used maker directions from Pest-Stop and Purple Turtle, plus the review complaints in this comparison, on 21 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

The pack is on the table, the spirals are stuck together in pairs, and you want the smoke near the chairs rather than in the kitchen.

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.Separate the pair before you strike a match
  2. 2.Light the outer end and lose the flame
  3. 3.Put the smoke where the chairs are
  4. 4.When it dies early
  5. 5.Indoors, tents, and putting it out

Separate the pair before you strike a match

Most coils here arrive as a double spiral, and the pair snaps when you pull it. Pest-Stop's UK sheet says to separate the double coil before you light it. Work from the middle outwards with dry hands, and stop if you feel a crack. If it snaps, keep the longer piece if the stand can hold it, and bin the crumbs. Do not glue a break. Breaking a glowing end off later, so the rest can be lit again, is a review habit, not the method on a UK instruction sheet. Label checks before you buy are on the mosquito coil buying guide.

Light the outer end and lose the flame

Hold the coil on the metal stand, or on the pin in the tin, so the spiral does not lie on the table. Pest-Stop says to raise the stand onto a heatproof plate, clear of the plate, then light the outer end. Purple Turtle wants an ember, not a candle flame. Light the tip and blow the flame out as soon as the end glows. Put the plate where ash misses the tablecloth and dry grass. A terracotta pot such as the CKB set is still hot. Do not balance a smashed pot for one evening.
Not stated Citronella spiral, 10 with holder

Testsieger

Not stated Citronella spiral, 10 with holder
8.8/10about £5.99
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Put the smoke where the chairs are

Set the stand upwind of the seats, close enough that you can still see it. That is a rule of thumb, not a metre from a US label. The plume has to cross the people. A sheltered patio does that with one coil. Keep the stand off dry grass, off a nylon tent wall, and off a stack of chairs. Pest-Stop and Purple Turtle say not to leave a coil unattended, and the 2you listings repeat that line. If you cannot see the stand, it is too far. How a patio and a pitch change that placement is on mosquito coils for patio and camping.

When it dies early

Seller claims run from 3–4 hours to 6–12 hours. Reviews often report less: about 15 minutes on an Anbar coil, about two hours on an ANGIX coil sold as six, and thinner stock on the big citronella tin. A short burn is usually wind, damp, or the crack from the split. Move into stiller air and light a fresh coil if the first has a break. Do not keep relighting a coil that has fallen into the ash. If every coil in a new box dies at once, the pack is the fault.

Indoors, tents, and putting it out

If the only place for the stand is a bedroom, stop. Liu and colleagues measured fine particles from a burning coil that, under their conditions, matched a large cigarette comparison. That is a reason to refuse a bedroom, not a patio dose. NaTHNaC says coils may be used outdoors and are not recommended indoors. The 2you indoor line disagrees with that. Do not burn a coil in a tent or an awning you will sleep beside. Wait until the tip is cold, and do not pack a warm coil. The word on the box changes none of this: citronella coil vs pyrethrum coil.

Common questions

How do I split two coils that are stuck together?
Work from the middle outwards with dry hands and stop when the material cracks. A snapped coil burns short because the break starves the ember. Keep the longer piece on the stand if it will sit flat, and throw the crumbs away.
Which end do I light?
Light the outer tip, the end that was the outside of the spiral. Pest-Stop's order is outer end, then blow the flame out so only the ember remains. The stand should hold the spiral above a heatproof plate, not touching it.
Where does the stand go?
Upwind of the chairs, on a non-flammable surface, close enough that you can see the ember. That is a rule of thumb for a UK patio, not a distance copied from a US label. Keep it off dry grass and off tent fabric.
Why does it keep going out?
Wind, damp, and a crack from a rough split are the usual causes. Anbar buyers describe coils dying after about 15 minutes. ANGIX buyers describe about two hours against a six-hour claim. Move to stiller air and use a fresh, unbroken coil.
Can I use it in the kitchen or the bedroom?
No. Smoke in a closed room drives fine particles up, and a detector often notices first. One review of the 10-piece pack includes a smoke alarm. NaTHNaC does not recommend indoor use. Follow that outdoor limit even where a 2you page says indoor and outdoor.
How do I put it out and keep the rest?
Let the ember die until the tip is cold before you touch the tin or pack the stand. Pest-Stop does not give a foil trick, and we do not treat foil as the official UK method. Never bag a warm coil.
Is a tent allowed?
No. A tent holds smoke and puts nylon next to an ember you may fall asleep beside. The same refusal covers a small awning you will sleep in. Use a coil only where you are awake, outdoors, and able to see the stand.

Related pages

Mosquito coil

Best mosquito coils: largest sample, then the value

Mosquito coil buying guide: six checks on the label

Citronella coil vs pyrethrum coil: what the label says

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)