This study used the oldest and most conventional method for candle production: blending and heating (an endothermic reaction), followed by casting, the most critical part of the production process. The results showed that the candle produced lasted 14.20 hours at a burning rate of 0.2g/min. Moreover, the candle burns with a fragrant, sweet-smelling, forest-like aura with hints of honey. The repelling effect of the emitted sweet smell was tested on 11 mosquitoes: 6 were found dead, 3 were partially paralysed, and 2 were unaccounted for. The results showed that beeswax burns more slowly than other waxes, is safer for the environment and nontoxic to humans, and reduces air pollution during melting. The exact burn time depends on the candle's height and burn rate. This study aimed to develop a slow-burning, sweet-smelling candle to repel mosquitoes and other domestic insects, which are primary vectors for several dangerous parasitic, viral, and bacterial diseases, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions.
Yakubu Abdulmumini, A., & Mohammed, A.-S. B. (2026). Design and Development of Slow-Burning Mosquito and Other Insect-Repelling Aromatised Paraffinic Bee Wax Candle. British Journal of Advanced Research, 1(4), Article 016. https://doi.org/10.68263/BJAR-TBZ7MCN2
MLA
Yakubu Abdulmumini, A., and Abubakar-Sadiq Baba Mohammed. "Design and Development of Slow-Burning Mosquito and Other Insect-Repelling Aromatised Paraffinic Bee Wax Candle." British Journal of Advanced Research, vol. 1, no. 4, 2026, article 016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.68263/BJAR-TBZ7MCN2
Chicago
Yakubu Abdulmumini, A., and Abubakar-Sadiq Baba Mohammed. "Design and Development of Slow-Burning Mosquito and Other Insect-Repelling Aromatised Paraffinic Bee Wax Candle." British Journal of Advanced Research 1, no. 4 (2026): 016. https://doi.org/10.68263/BJAR-TBZ7MCN2
References
Allan, K.M; Kaminski, J.R; Bertrand, J.C; Head, J. P. and Sunderland, B. (2009). Laminar Smoke Points of Wax Candles, Combustion Science and Technology 181; 800–811.
Allen, R. W. (2013). "FTIR Study of Combustion Species in Several Regions of a Candle Flame". Ohio State University.
Ball, M. and David, S. (2001). An Economic History of London, 1800-1914. Routledge. pp. 131–132.
Ullmann's Encyclopaedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: “Candles". Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a05_029. ISBN 3527306730. (Accessed 10-11-2022).
Camp, W. R.; Vollenweider, J. L. and Schutz, W. J. (1999). "Scented candle gel". United States Patent 5,964,905.
Ferrier, M. (2018). "The cult of 'smelliness': what is behind the extraordinary rise in sales of scented candles?” The Guardian. Guardian News & Media Limited.
Forbes, R J (1955). Studies in Ancient Technology. pp. 139–40.
Franz, W. and Fedrick, H. (2000). "Candles" in Ullmann's Encyclopaedia of Industrial Chemistry, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim.
Geddes, G. and Griffiths, J. (2002). The Use of Candles in China. Candle-delirium. p. 89.
Google: Candle History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/candle
Hamins, Anthony; Bundy, Matthew; Dillon, Scott E. (2005). "Characterisation of Candle Flames". Journal of Fire Protection Engineering. 15 (4): 277.
Phillips, G. (1999). Seven Centuries of Light: The Tallow Chandlers Company. Book Production Consultants. p. 74.
Sekimoto, H., Ryu, K. and Yoshimura, Y. (2001). "Candle: The New Burnup Strategy". Nuclear Science and Engineering. 139 (3): 306–317.
Shillito, M. Larry; David J. De Marle (1992). Candle: Its Measurement, Design, and Management. Wiley-IEEE. p. 33.
Sunderland, P.B.; Quintiere, J.G.; Tabaka, G.A.; Lian, D.; Chiu, C.-W. (2010). "Analysis and measurement of candle flame shapes" (PDF). Proceedings of the Combustion Institute. 33 (2): 2489–2496.
Whitrow, G. J. (1989). Time in History: Views of Time from Prehistory to the Present Day. Oxford University Press, pp. 90- 91.
