Essential oils from Achyrocline alata and Swinglea glutinosa were the most active with minimal inhibitory concentrations of 62.5±0.1 and 100±36 μg ml-1, respectively. Carvacrol, thymol, p-cymene, 1,8-cineole, limonene, and β-pinene were the major components ,most often identified in the 11 plant extracts of essential oils. Time-kill curve assays demonstrated the bacteriostatic activity of these essential oils.