When you think it can’t be worse than a bug in your home, you spot a stink bug! Honestly, I’m not sure what disgusts me more, their size or the awful smell.
If you haven’t squashed this creature yet, make sure you don’t try it, because it triggers the scent release.
Repelling these nuisances may be challenging but not impossible, especially with the trick I’ll show you below. Let’s see!
The Ultimate Stink Bug Repellent
The herb that can help you get rid of stink bugs is bay. I’m sure you already know that bay emits one of the strongest scents in the plant world. So, fight fire with fire, i.e., use bay leaves to repel these nasty creatures.
One of the most common bay leaf uses is as a pest deterrent.
Stink bugs can enter your household from various locations. They typically seek warmth, which is why you’ll notice them in your home once the temperatures start to drop.
Stink bugs also need shelter to survive through winter and your home seems perfect to them. Any small holes and air gaps in your home are great entry points for these bugs.
Luckily, they don’t pose a threat to our health, but it’s better to keep them out of our houses.
The first thing you need to do is seal all potential entry points! This includes cracks in wood, window frames, and spots around water lines.
These are moisture-loving bugs so you’ll need to pay attention and keep areas around windows, doors, and other potential entrances dry.
Now, bay leaves come to the rescue! Let’s see why they work.
Why Do Stink Bugs Hate Bay Leaves?
The full name of this ugly creature is the brown marmorated stink bug and it’s classified as a large insect.
This is a very skillful bug and may easily enter your home through the cracks I described above. It’s not uncommon for stink bugs to crawl across the ceiling, so they can end up on your table while dining. Yikes!
According to a recent study on the size of openings big enough for stink bugs to enter our homes, anything larger than 0.1 inch will work. (1)
This is actually why bay leaves work. You can’t really apply any organic pest repellents to these areas and get good results.
Once you put a bay leaf near an area where you suspect stink bugs are coming from, it will emit its pungent scent.
What repels stink bugs in bay leaves is actually linalool; this terpene alcohol has a pretty spicy scent (2) and as soon as the stink bugs sense it, they’ll quickly run away.
How To Use Bay Leaves To Deter Stink Bugs
The great news is that you don’t need to make any special solution using bay leaves. The process is rather simple. Take as many bay leaves as you can and put them near every potential entry point.
Both fresh and dry leaves work perfectly for this purpose. I always prefer the first option, of course, if you have a bay tree in your garden or enough space to plant one.
I also recommend replacing the leaves from time to time for best results. Bay leaves work great if combined with other pest control methods.
If there is already a bug or two in your house, the last thing you should do is squash it. Use a vacuum cleaner and empty it in a trash can outdoors. I also seal the trash bag tightly, just in case!
References
1. Benjamin D Chambers and others. (2019). Size Restrictions on the Passage of Overwintering Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) Through Openings, Journal of Economic Entomology
2. Fidan, H., Stefanova, G., Kostova, I., Stankov, S., Damyanova, S., Stoyanova, A., & Zheljazkov, V. D. (2019). Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Laurus nobilis L. Essential Oils from Bulgaria. Molecules