Citronella is for mosquitoes, not ticks.
No.
Citronella works okay against mosquitoes — it masks the COâ‚‚ and lactic acid that attract them — but ticks just don’t care as much about those same cues. Ticks rely more on heat, vibration, and shadows. A citronella candle or spray might annoy a mosquito, but a tick will crawl right past it.
Even for mosquitoes, citronella ranks below DEET, picaridin, or even oil of lemon eucalyptus. For ticks, you need something proven effective: permethrin-treated clothing (kills on contact), DEET (20-30%), or picaridin (20%). Citronella won’t cut it in tall grass or woods.
If ticks are a real concern in your area, don’t trust citronella. Use the real stuff on your skin and clothes.