Citronella is largely useless for ticks.

No.

Citronella works decently for mosquitoes because they’re more sensitive to the scent. But ticks? They don’t care much. Citronella might make a tick briefly pause, but it won’t stop it from crawling onto you or latching on. Research shows citronella-based repellents offer very short protection against ticks—often under 30 minutes. That’s not real protection.

If you’re in tick territory, you want DEET (20% or more), picaridin, or treat your clothes with permethrin. Those actually work. Citronella candles and sprays are fine for the patio for mosquitoes, but don’t trust them for ticks.

You don’t mess around with Lyme disease. Use the real stuff.