The pharaoh ant (Monomorium pharaonis [L.]; Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is one of the most important pests in populated areas around the world where food and water are abundant. In this study, the repellency of the essential oils from Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberaceae) (turmeric) and Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. (Lauraceae) (litsea) to the pharaoh ant was evaluated. For the tests, the area choice method was used, and 0.1 mL of essential oil at 1 of 3 concentrations (10,000 ppm, 1,000 ppm, and 100 ppm) was applied on a half disc of filter paper to obtain a final concentration of 31.4 µg/cm², 3.1 µg/cm², and 0.3 µg/cm². The same volume of mixture but without essential oil (distilled water dimethyl sulfoxide Tween-20®) was used as a control. The repellency of the oils was tested with and without availability of food to the ants, with the food consisting of small maize kernels. Both oils repelled ants with and without the availability of food at a concentration of 10,000 ppm. Turmeric oil showed a higher repellency than litsea oil in both the absence and presence of food. Furthermore, with food present, the repellency of turmeric oil increased whereas that of litsea oil decreased. The minimum percentages of repellency recorded for turmeric and litsea oils were >80% and >70%, respectively. This study demonstrated that the oils from these plants have a strong repellent effect on pharaoh ants in laboratory tests. Further studies are needed to determine the concentrations of these oils that can be used effectively for ant control in buildings and in open fields.