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.
What repels stink bugs in bay leaves is actually linalool; this terpene alcohol has a pretty spicy scent and as soon as the stink bugs sense it, they’ll quickly run away.
Stinkbugs will crawl through anything larger than 0.1 inch. Put a bay leaf near an area where you suspect stink bugs are coming from; it will emit its pungent scent and repel bugs!