You may have seen a few crickets hopping around when it is hot outside and chirping loudly through the early night. Looking around, you will see more and notice that they may fly after watching them for a while.
Crickets are loud insects that keep you up at night even though they will not sting or bite.
Once inside your house, dirty laundry with food spills and perspiration stains attracts the field and house crickets with camel crickets eating paper. Because of these issues, it helps to act fast and keep these troublesome insects at bay.
Essential oils are plant extracts that have a variety of benefits for people and are repulsive to a wide variety of insects, including crickets. Ways that you can use essential oils to keep crickets out of your house include:
- Burning them in a diffuser.
- Diluting and spraying around the house.
- Using them in concentrated form and dabbing on items like cotton balls.
But how do these scents deter crickets from your space?
Continue reading to learn why these essential oils are excellent choices for keeping crickets away, plus how to use them.
7 Essential Oils That Naturally Repel Crickets
Crickets use their antennae to sense their surroundings and look for food and cover. Using essential oils makes an area less conducive for them to thrive.
The potent scents of lavender, rosemary, peppermint, neem, clove, and cinnamon oils cover the smells of food and shelter that attract crickets, effectively repelling them.
1. Lavender Essential Oil
The first thing that comes to mind when you think of lavender is usually a pleasant aroma, calmness, and sound sleep. But with its fragrant scent and relaxing qualities, lavender is also effective at fending off crickets. Linalool, an ingredient in lavender, actively repels cricket.
How To Use Lavender Oil
Dab lavender on cotton balls and place them on cabinets and drawers to deter crickets.
Also, use lavender oil by leaving it in a saucer to purify the air or spray it with an atomizer.
2. Neem Oil
The potent smell of neem oil is enough to repel crickets and prevent them from approaching your garden or home. Azadirachtin, the primary component found in neem oil, reduces a cricket’s feeding ability. It also disrupts their hormonal balance, making it more difficult for them to develop and reproduce.
The earlier you apply neem oil, the better because it works best against eggs and prevents young crickets from reaching their next life stage.
How To Use Neem Oil
Making a spray from neem oil is the ideal application method. Fill a spray bottle with warm water, then add 3 teaspoons of neem oil, and 1 teaspoon of unscented Castile soap.
Spray this solution on your doors and windows and around any entry to your home. Because most crickets are active at night, spraying this solution in the late afternoon or evening works best.
3. Cinnamon Oil
Eugenol, an essential oil found in cinnamon oil, serves as a repellent and can stop crickets from laying eggs. Use cinnamon oil regularly to ward off crickets.
How To Use Cinnamon Oil
Make a spray by mixing a few drops of cinnamon oil with water. Give this mixture more power by adding a few drops of dishwashing soap. Spraying this mixture along all the interior doorways releases a scent that helps drive back crickets.
Also, lightly apply your repellent mixture to plants and baseboards at entrances that crickets use to enter your property.
4. Clove Oil
The woodsy scent in clove oil naturally repels crickets when they come in contact. In addition, cloves’ strong scent also repels crickets and discourages them from returning.
How To Use Clove Oil
Mix 1 teaspoon of clove oil with 1 cup of water in a spray bottle, then sprinkle the area around doorways, windows, and other entry points and areas where crickets are active. Scattering cloves throughout these spots further deter crickets.
5. Rosemary Oil
Although crickets dislike it, this herbal fresh-smelling oil is ideal for use around the kitchen and garden. Rosemary contains camphor, and a single whiff is enough to keep crickets at bay. If searching for a natural way to get rid of crickets, use rosemary oil.
How To Use Rosemary Oil
Apply a solution of water and a few drops of rosemary where crickets are active. You want to ensure you reapply every 3-5 days or until you resolve your cricket issue.
You may also add a few drops of rosemary oil to your vacuum cleaner to help keep crickets out of your home. It is safe to use around pets and children.
6. Peppermint Oil
It doesn’t have to be the festive season to use peppermint. This oil is fantastic to use whenever to keep crickets from disrupting you at night.
Because of its delicate scent, peppermint oil confuses crickets by masking the smell of pheromones, making it an excellent deterrent. Camel crickets are easy to repel, especially when you mix peppermint with dish soap.
How To Use Peppermint Oil
Mix 15-20 drops of peppermint oil, five drops of dish soap, and water in a spray bottle and spray where crickets frequent. Evening time when crickets are most active, is the best time to apply it. You can also mix equal parts of rosemary and clove oil to make this solution more effective.
Dab this mixture on cotton and scatter the cotton balls around your home, especially in dresser drawers.
7. Cedarwood Oil
This woodsy, sweet oil is an excellent repellent. Crickets stay away from this smell, with the ones that come into contact suffering dehydration which leads to suffocation. Also, it emulsifies their body fats, finally killing them.
How To Use Cedarwood Oil
Pour 30 drops of cedarwood oil into a spray bottle full of water. Shake vigorously to enable the oil to dissolve in the water. Spray generously in areas with cricket activity.
The scent of cedarwood oil deters crickets, and they will avoid these locations.
Takeaway
Nothing ruins a quiet evening than getting interrupted by a host of crickets. Having a few crickets around is no big deal, but they can be destructive in large numbers. They move fast and reproduce quickly, so it is vital to act and help prevent an infestation.
To wage a successful war against them, you only need a few drops of these strong liquids.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Keep Crickets off Your Yard?
For best results, reduce cricket breeding sites in your yard by:
- Regularly mowing the lawn, trimming grass, and weeding plants to maintain a well-groomed setting.
- Clearing stagnant water to reduce moisture levels.
- Moving dirt away from your house.
Examining and patching cracks near your home foundation is also beneficial.
Does Eucalyptus Oil Repel Crickets?
Eucalyptus oil is an excellent repellent, particularly with camel crickets. Apply a small amount of it on cotton wool which you can place around the house and in your cloth drawers. Spraying it on access points, cracks and gaps work great, too.
