Does cinnamon repel cockroaches?

Author: Colin Marquardt II  |  Last update: Monday, July 14, 2025

Ways To Repel Cockroaches From Your Home Due to their strong sense of smell, cockroaches dislike several pungent herbs and spices, including cinnamon, citrus, thyme basil, citronella, basil, mint, garlic, coffee grounds, peppermint, and bay leaves.

How do you use cinnamon to repel roaches?

Sprinkling ground cinnamon in areas where you've spotted roaches can help create a barrier that these pests are unwilling to cross. Alternatively, mixing a few drops of cinnamon oil with water and using it as a spray can enhance the effectiveness.

What smell do roaches hate the most?

Cockroaches are repelled by the smells of peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender, citronella, and cedarwood oils. These scents can be used as natural deterrents to keep them away from your home.

Does sprinkling cinnamon keep bugs away?

Yes, simple cinnamon is a common and economical tool that you can use to help facilitate repelling these insects. Cinnamon's intense aroma is overwhelming to insects and as a result they will seek a new home and breeding ground away from you.

What spice will keep roaches away?

Sprinkle cayenne powder or cinnamon near roach hotspots, especially around baseboards and entry points. Be cautious with cayenne if you have pets or children in the home. For Bay Leaves and Garlic Cloves: Crush a few bay leaves or peel garlic cloves and place them in kitchen cabinets or pantry shelves.

What Insects Does Cinnamon Repel?

What is the best homemade roach repellent?

Rosemary is considered one of the best roach repellents because it's actually highly toxic to the insects. Even better, this plant can be found at your local nursery, hardware store, or plant shop and requires little water. Just make sure you place it in direct sunlight.

What is a cockroaches' biggest weakness?

Cockroaches are blessed with an amazing sense of smell. This is what they use when seeking food and mate but at the same time, this is also their weakness. A cockroach's sense of smell can be used to get rid of them.

How do you use cinnamon for pest control?

Just whisk 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon with 4 cups of warm water and let it sit and steep as you would with tea. Next, get your spray bottle open and pour the cinnamon mixture through a sieve right into the bottle. Add ½ teaspoon of rubbing alcohol and ½ teaspoon of dish detergent, shake well and spray away.

Can I sprinkle cinnamon around my house?

That's right, the flavorful and aromatic spice can actually come in quite handy for keeping a home clean, eliminating odors, repelling unwanted insects and rodents, protecting plants, and much more. Cinnamon has a very distinct fragrance.

What animal does cinnamon repel?

While most insects are deterred by cinnamon, there are some larger garden pests that also hate the scent of the spice. Rats, mice, raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, moles, and weasels will also stay away when the strong scent of cinnamon is around.

Will sleeping with the light on keep cockroaches away?

Leaving the light on doesn't deter cockroaches effectively because they can navigate in low-light conditions. While they're mostly active at night, they may still come out in search of food or water. During the day, cockroaches hide in dark areas not directly exposed to light.

Do roaches hate pine sol?

Pine Sol can kill roaches on contact, though it's not a practical solution for a wide-scale infestation.

What smells attract cockroaches?

Cockroaches are most attracted to the smell of garbage and rotting food–one of the biggest reasons they enter homes is in search of food sources. Because of this, it is important to regularly clean your kitchen and remove your trash before it gets too full.

How do I get rid of roaches permanently?

Get Them Out!
  1. Remove clutter.
  2. Vacuum well and often. ...
  3. Wash hard washable surfaces with cleanser (ammonia and water works well).
  4. Dust out of sight spaces with boric acid powder. ...
  5. Use roach baits near hiding places like behind pictures and wall hangings, under sinks and undersides of furniture.

Do spiders hate cinnamon?

Cinnamon oil also effectively keeps spiders away. The smell of cinnamon repels these arachnids. Spiders prefer to maintain a fair distance away from them. Ultimately, cinnamon oil will also fight other insects and keep them away, so it's not for spiders only.

What do cockroaches hate the most?

Peppermint oil, cedarwood oil, and cypress oil are essential oils that effectively keep cockroaches at bay. Additionally, these insects hate the smell of crushed bay leaves and steer clear of coffee grounds. If you want to try a natural way to kill them, combine powdered sugar and boric acid.

Why do people put cinnamon around their house?

Spiritual wellbeing experts explain the ritual of blowing cinnamon on your front door is believed to bring prosperity, abundance, and good luck.

What do mice do when they smell cinnamon?

While focusing on rats, it's also pertinent to consider the impact of cinnamon on mice, as these rodents often coexist in the same environments. Like rats, mice are known to be deterred by strong smells, including that of cinnamon.

What bugs does cinnamon keep away?

🦟Trash Can Protector. Keep pests, maggots AND raccoons out of your trash cans with cinnamon. Just sprinkle a light layer at the bottom of the trash can and don't forget the lid. Those critters hate the smell and the powdery texture of cinnamon.

What does cinnamon do to roaches?

​Cinnamon. This spice can keep creepy cockroaches at bay, the strong essence of cinnamon can keep these bugs from climbing up the kitchen slabs and cabinets. Just sprinkle some freshly ground cinnamon powder around the kitchen and keep these roaches from breeding.

Does cinnamon attract anything in the house?

Most pests are put off by cinnamon because it contains eugenol, a flavoring agent commonly found in our spice cabinet, and many bug sprays. Because of this, cinnamon, in its many different forms and iterations, can be used as a fairly effective and safe pest repellant.

How long do cinnamon brooms last?

How long does a cinnamon broom last? Although the scent will only last for about a week before it begins to fade, cinnamon brooms typically last 1-3 months overall. If you keep them away from sunlight and humidity, they should last longer.

What is a cockroaches worst enemy?

Insects and Arachnids

Strangely enough, one of the most prevalent kind of predator that cockroaches face are fellow insects! The emerald cockroach wasp, Ampulex compressa, for example, has an unusual way of preying upon cockroaches. The wasp stings the cockroach's brain, which paralyzes the cockroach.

Why do cockroaches run towards you?

A cockroach can feel the change in air current and change in the surroundings, and when they encounter us, they look in their surroundings, looks for a place from where they can escape, and then chase you, scare you, and make a run toward the escape. They use this strategy against many other predators.

Why am I seeing big roaches all of a sudden?

Improper sanitation, presence of food and water sources, and favorable living conditions are common causes of roach infestations. Maintaining a clean and hygienic environment, storing food in tightly sealed containers, and promptly cleaning up spills or crumbs can help prevent roach infestations.

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