Cinnamon is a spice derived from the bark of evergreen trees in the genus Cinnamomum. Cinnamon has been harvested and used by humans for thousands of years, for many purposes. The dried bark has a potent, spicy fragrance and flavor.

Cinnamon is rich in a diversity of fragrant oils, and may contain more than 80 distinct compounds. Different species of Cinnamomum may contain different compounds, but the primary components of cinnamon oil are cinnamaldehyde and eugenol.

Trees in the genus Cinnamomum evolved to produce these compounds for a very specific purpose. Like many other fragrant, oil-rich plants, this tree uses these oils to defend itself from pests and pathogens. By extracting the essential oil of cinnamon, we can harness the power of these natural compounds. The essential oil of cinnamon has been widely studied as an insecticide and antimicrobial agent, and is effective against numerous pests and pathogens.

Cinnamon has a repellent effect against some insects, keeping many pests far away from your crops. When a determined pest comes in contact with cinnamon oil, it inhibits their movement, reduces their metabolic activity, and ultimately restricts the growth of the pest’s population.

A photo of dried cinnamon. Image from Wikimedia.

Pest species which can be treated effectively with cinnamon oil:

• Varroa destructor, the Varroa mite

• Sitophilus zeamais, the maize weevil

• Haematobia irritans, the horn fly

• Stomoxys calcitrans, the stable fly

• Callosobruchus maculatus, the cowpea weevil

• Sitophilus granarius, the wheat weevil

• Tribolium castaneum, the red flour beetle

• Rhyzopertha dominica, the lesser grain borer

• Acanthoscelides obtectus, the bean weevil

• Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito

• Culex pipiens, the common house mosquito

• Camptomyia corticalis

• Sitophilus oryzae, the rice weevil

• Drosophila melanogaster, the common fruit fly