Compare current Canadian prices on the coils people actually buy — PIC, OFF!, and citronella:
Best Mosquito Coils in Canada Compared
There are really only three coil families worth knowing in Canada: the pyrethroid workhorses (PIC and OFF!), and citronella coils for people who want a plant-based option. Here is how they compare, with a live Amazon.ca price check on each:
| Coil | Active ingredient | Best for | Approx. price (CA) | Price check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIC Mosquito Coils | d-allethrin | Best value · widely stocked | $6 – $12 / pack | Check price on Amazon.ca → |
| OFF! Mosquito Coils | Metofluthrin / allethrin | Trusted brand name | $8 – $14 / pack | Amazon.ca → |
| Coghlan’s Citronella Coils | Citronella oil | Camping · plant-based scent | $6 – $10 / pack | Amazon.ca → |
| Generic Citronella Coils | Citronella oil | Budget · sheltered patios | $5 – $9 / pack | Amazon.ca → |
Rule of thumb: if you want the most bites prevented per coil, buy a pyrethroid coil (PIC or OFF!). If you dislike the harsher insecticidal smoke and accept weaker, shorter-range protection, a citronella coil is fine on a small, sheltered patio. Check PIC coil price →
How Mosquito Coils Actually Work
A mosquito coil is a tightly wound spiral of a combustible paste — typically sawdust or dried plant material — blended with an active ingredient. You light the outer tip, blow out the flame, and it smoulders slowly inward like an incense stick, burning for five to eight hours. As it burns, it heats and vaporizes the active ingredient, carrying it into the air on a thin ribbon of smoke.
In most insecticidal coils sold in Canada that active ingredient is a pyrethroid — usually d-allethrin (the classic PIC coil) or metofluthrin (used in some OFF! coils). Pyrethroids are synthetic cousins of pyrethrin, the natural insecticide in chrysanthemum flowers. In the vapour phase they act as a spatial repellent: mosquitoes flying into the treated air are irritated and driven off, and a smaller number are knocked down outright. Citronella coils swap the pyrethroid for citronella essential oil, which masks the human scent cues mosquitoes home in on — a real but weaker and shorter-range effect.
The key limitation is the smoke plume. A coil only protects the air the smoke is actually drifting through — roughly a one-to-two-metre bubble downwind of the coil. Sit in the plume on a still night and you will notice fewer bites; step out of it, or let a breeze carry the smoke sideways, and the protection largely vanishes. Coils defend a chair, not a yard.
Citronella tiki torches sit in the same short-range family and land below a coil rather than above it: the plume is thinner, and the flame usually stands at the edge of the patio instead of beside your chair. If you were weighing a set of torches against a pack of coils, our look at whether tiki torches repel mosquitoes sets out what to expect from each.
The one safety rule that really matters: outdoors only.
Because coils work by burning, they release fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and combustion byproducts like formaldehyde along with the active ingredient. Peer-reviewed indoor-air studies have measured a single coil burned in a closed room emitting particulate matter comparable to burning dozens of cigarettes. That does not mean coils are useless — it means they belong in open air, where the emissions disperse quickly and exposure drops dramatically. Never burn a coil indoors, inside a tent, in a screened gazebo with the flaps down, or in a garage. Set it upwind, keep it away from where kids sleep or anyone with asthma sits, and put it out fully before you go inside.
Outdoor & Camping Use — Where Coils Shine
Coils earn their keep precisely because they are cheap, flameless once lit, and need no power. That makes them a natural fit for a handful of situations where a plug-in trap or a battery device is overkill or impractical:
- Camping and backcountry — a $7 pack of coils and a lighter weigh nothing and need no batteries or butane; stake one upwind of the picnic table.
- Docks and cottage decks — a still evening by the water is the ideal coil environment, with an open sky to carry the smoke away.
- Small, sheltered patios — where you sit in one spot for the evening and the coil plume can settle around your chairs.
- One-off evenings — a single barbecue or fire-pit night where a seasonal plan makes no sense.
- Around a fixed work area — gardening in one bed at dusk, painting a fence, or grilling.
The one camping case a coil cannot cover is the one where you are moving — hauling gear, setting up a tent, walking down to the water — because you leave the plume the moment you stand up. That is what a mesh head net is for, and it is the reason experienced backcountry campers carry one even when they also carry coils: it weighs almost nothing, needs no fuel, and it still works in the breeze that kills a coil outright. Pick one sized to go over a brimmed hat so the mesh sits off your face. Check mosquito head nets on Amazon.ca →
Position matters more than most people think. Put the coil upwind of where you are sitting so the smoke drifts across you, use two coils spaced a metre or two apart to bracket a group, and always seat it on the metal stand it ships with — never directly on a wooden deck, dry grass, or anything flammable.
That flimsy tin stand in the pack is the part everyone loses first, usually somewhere in the shed over the winter, and burning a coil without one is how deck boards end up scorched. A proper coil holder — a metal box or a hanging burner with a lid — sits flat, catches the ash, keeps the ember off the surface underneath, and can be hung from a railing or a branch at a campsite. It is one of the cheapest things in this guide, and it outlasts a decade of coil packs. Check coil holders on Amazon.ca →
When a Mosquito Coil Is the Wrong Tool
- Whole-yard protection — a coil defends a chair-sized zone, not a property. For that you need barrier spray.
- Windy or breezy nights — the smoke blows away and takes the protection with it.
- Anywhere indoors, or in a tent — non-negotiable; the smoke exposure is too high in enclosed air.
- Tick control — ticks live in grass and leaf litter and ignore airborne smoke entirely.
- Kids’ play areas and anyone with asthma — even outdoors, keep coil smoke away from sensitive lungs.
- All-evening moving-around use — you have to stay in the plume, which a coil can’t follow you around.
Mosquito Coils vs Other Personal & Yard Solutions
| Solution | Cost | Coverage | Tick coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mosquito coil | Under $1/evening | 1–2 m plume (outdoor only) | None |
| Thermacell | $80–$150 first year | 4.5 m zone · no smoke | None |
| Citronella / natural repellents | $5–$20 | On-skin or small zone | Limited |
| Professional barrier spray | $549–$994/season | Whole yard · renewed on schedule | Yes — full coverage |
The row directly above the coil in that table is the upgrade most coil buyers eventually make. A heat-activated zone repeller runs a treated mat off a small fuel cartridge or a battery instead of burning anything, so there is no smoke to sit in, no ash, no open ember on a wooden deck, and nothing to keep away from a child with asthma — and it holds a seating-area zone rather than a chair-sized plume. It still wants calm air, and the mats and fuel are consumables, so it is a running cost rather than a one-off. Check patio zone repellers on Amazon.ca →
The Honest Verdict for GTA Buyers
Mosquito coils are a legitimately useful little tool for the right job: a cheap, no-power way to buy yourself a smoke-bubble of relief on a still evening at the campsite, on the dock, or on a small patio. Keep a pack in the shed. Just respect the two rules that make them work safely — outdoors only, and sit in the plume, upwind of the coil. If you want more than a chair-sized zone, a Thermacell does the same personal-zone job without the smoke, and for actual mosquito-and-tick coverage of your whole property, nothing a coil can do replaces a professional barrier spray. For a full rundown of what works on GTA lawns, see our Ontario mosquito repellent guide.
Related Reading
- Mosquito Repellent Guide for Ontario (2026)
- Thermacell Canada — Where to Buy + Do They Work
- Natural Mosquito Repellents for Ontario Yards
- BuzzSkito Professional Mosquito Control Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Do mosquito coils actually work?+
Yes, within limits. A burning mosquito coil smoulders slowly and releases a thin plume of insecticidal smoke (usually allethrin or metofluthrin, both pyrethroids) or citronella vapour. Anything sitting inside that plume — typically a 1–2 metre personal zone, downwind of the coil — gets meaningful protection: mosquitoes are repelled and small numbers are knocked down. The catch is that a coil protects the smoke zone, not your whole yard, and a breeze that blows the smoke away from you erases the effect. For a still evening on a small patio, dock, or campsite they genuinely help; for whole-yard, hands-off protection they are not the right tool.
Can you burn mosquito coils indoors?+
No — never burn mosquito coils indoors, in a tent, in a garage, or in any enclosed space. Coils work by combustion, and that smoke carries fine particulate matter (PM2.5) plus combustion byproducts such as formaldehyde and other carbonyls. Peer-reviewed indoor-air research has found that burning a single coil in a closed room can release particulate matter at levels comparable to burning dozens of cigarettes. Outdoors in open air those emissions disperse quickly and the exposure is far lower. Rule of thumb: coils are an outdoor-only product. Use them on an open patio, deck, dock, or campsite, position yourself upwind, and keep them away from where children sleep or anyone with asthma sits.
What is the active ingredient in mosquito coils?+
Most insecticidal coils sold in Canada use a pyrethroid — commonly d-allethrin (in PIC coils) or metofluthrin (in some OFF! coils). Pyrethroids are synthetic versions of pyrethrin, the compound found in chrysanthemum flowers, and they act as spatial repellents and knock-down agents in the vapour phase. Citronella coils use citronella oil (a plant essential oil) instead of a pyrethroid — they smell stronger and are marketed as more natural, but they are generally milder and shorter-range. Allethrin coils are registered pest-control products with Health Canada's PMRA; always read and follow the label.
How long does one mosquito coil last?+
A standard spiral coil burns for roughly 5–8 hours from the outer edge inward, so one coil comfortably covers an evening outdoors. Burn time depends on the coil's thickness and on wind — a breezy night burns them faster. Most packs contain 8–12 coils plus a small metal stand, and at $6–$14 per pack that works out to well under a dollar per evening. Snap a coil in half if you only need a couple of hours; each half still burns fine on the stand.
What are the best mosquito coils to buy in Canada?+
The three you will actually find on Canadian shelves are PIC Mosquito Repellent Coils (d-allethrin, the best value and widely stocked), OFF! Mosquito Coils (a trusted brand name, often metofluthrin), and citronella coils such as Coghlan's (a Canadian camping brand) for people who prefer a plant-based option. All are sold at Canadian Tire, Home Depot Canada, Walmart, and most camping stores, typically $6–$14 a pack. Insecticidal (allethrin/metofluthrin) coils outperform citronella coils on effectiveness; citronella coils win on scent and the "natural" label. Buy whichever matches your priority — just burn them outdoors only.
Are citronella coils better than regular mosquito coils?+
Not for effectiveness. Citronella coils release citronella essential-oil vapour, which is a genuine but weak and short-lived mosquito repellent — the protective zone is smaller and fades faster than an allethrin or metofluthrin coil. Where citronella coils win is perception: many people prefer the smell and the plant-based label, and they are a reasonable choice on a small, sheltered patio. If your goal is the most bites prevented per coil, the pyrethroid coils (PIC, OFF!) do more. If you dislike the harsher smell of insecticidal smoke and accept weaker protection, citronella coils are fine.
Do mosquito coils repel ticks, and how do they compare to a Thermacell?+
Mosquito coils do nothing for ticks — ticks live in leaf litter and long grass and are not affected by airborne smoke, so coils give a false sense of security in tick habitat. Against mosquitoes, a Thermacell does essentially the same job as a coil (a small personal repellent zone using a heated pyrethroid mat) but without open flame, smoke, or combustion byproducts, which makes it the better choice for most patios. Coils still beat a Thermacell in two cases: when you have no batteries or butane and want the cheapest possible option, and for camping where a $7 pack of coils is dead simple. For whole-yard mosquito and tick coverage, neither a coil nor a Thermacell substitutes for a professional barrier spray.