You'll Never Guess the Familiar Ingredients That Household Bugs Absolutely Hate

Spring breezes are finally starting to knock at the door, meaning open windows and patio doors are a reality once again! But with the blooming buds and fluttering butterflies comes other flying (and crawling) pests that are not as welcome in your home. There's nothing worse than drifting off into a peaceful Sunday nap on the couch under a pleasant breeze from an open window and waking up with a house full of flies. Or that moment when you're preparing an al fresco meal for friends and family and a cockroach skitters across your toes. *shivers*

To further complicate the situation, you're often faced with having to use insecticides that tell you to cover your mouth, spray, and then dash out of the room as fast as possible to protect the humans and pets in your home. Instead, opt for Zevo, a line of effective bug killers that use a blend of essential oils to kill bugs like roaches, flies, gnats, and ants on contact. Plus, you can feel comfortable using it around your babies and pets — and it smells great. 

Ants hate the spicy smell of cinnamon oil, and the pungent aroma interferes with the pheromone trail ants use as a form of communication. Plus, cinnamon oil has science on its side — according to a 2014 study, cinnamon oil was shown to be an effective way to kill ants. Spray Zevo's Ant, Roach, & Spider Crawling Insect Spray — which contains cinnamon oil — directly onto the crawling critters and watch them go belly-up right before your eyes.

Lemongrass is closely related to citronella, a common ingredient found in many bug sprays and candles. Lemongrass has been used for centuries for its antifungal and insecticidal properties, not to mention for a delicious tart taste and mild citrus smell. Spray Zevo's Ant, Roach, & Fly Multi-Insect Trigger Spray directly onto a multitude of bugs (spiders, crickets, fruit flies, and beyond!) to knock 'em dead.

While humans associate geraniol with the lovely floral smell that comes from geraniums, lavender, nutmeg, and jasmine, annoying flying bugs like gnats and house flies want nothing to do with it. Zevo's Flying Insect Spray (along with all the other sprays in the roster) gets its calming scent and enhanced killer properties from this essential oil.

Defeat the indestructible roach once and for all with fragrant bay leaves, a smell the prehistoric pest can't stand. While it won't kill the cockroaches, crushed up bay leaves give off a smell that is extremely offensive to them. Sprinkle the crushed herb anywhere you've seen a roach emerge from, or hit them with a stream of Zevo's Ant, Roach, & Spider Crawling Insect Spray to kill them on contact.

This article originally published on PopSugar.com by Aviel Kanter