The Natural Scent That Keeps Stink Bugs From Making Your Home Their Winter Getaway

Stink bugs, or brown marmorated stink bugs, are one of the most annoying pests to find in your home. The invasive species, native to parts of Asia, is such an unpleasant bug to find for many reasons, primarily for the foul smell it emits when crushed and its ugly appearance. In addition to their smell and appearance, they can leave stains on your belongings, although they won't cause much more damage in your home than that. Outside of your home, stink bugs are classified as a problematic invasive species due to the agricultural damage they cause from feeding on crops. Thankfully, there is a delightful smell that humans love and stink bugs hate: cloves. Let's talk about how cloves work as a type of organic pest control for your stink bug problems.

So you can most efficiently use cloves as a repellent in your home, you need to understand the sneaky way stink bugs are invading your home. They typically enter your house when the weather starts to turn cold, seeking refuge in the warmth of your home. These pests find every crevice possible, primarily entering under doors and through broken screens. They will also enter underneath siding and through holes in the foundation. Essentially, if there is a crack, they can enter your home. To best know where to use cloves to keep stink bugs out, you should try to find the source they are entering through. This is where cloves come into the picture.

While it may sound far-fetched, using clove oil for pest control has been researched thoroughly, along with several other plants such as lemongrass, spearmint, and rosemary. In a study published in the Journal of Applied Entomology, clove oil was found to almost completely block attraction to highly alluring stink bug traps filled with attractant stink bug pheromones, serving as a highly effective repellent. This is due to the smell of the key component in clove oil, eugenol, which repels not only stink bugs.

If you don't yet have a stink bug problem, but you simply want to prevent one, you can begin by putting several whole cloves by areas you have previously identified as potential entry points, such as doors and windows. Additionally, you can use an essential oil diffuser with pure clove oil, which will serve the same purpose. For more drastic measures, you can spray clove oil directly on problematic areas. If you spray clove oil directly on the bugs or they come in direct contact, you could kill them.

Additionally, you can make your own clove oil bug repellent that will not only repel them from your house, but also serve as a general bug repellent you can apply to yourself. By mixing 30 drops of clove oil, ten drops of citronella oil, 10 drops of lemon eucalyptus oil, 2 tablespoons of liquid castile soap, 1 cup of distilled water, and putting it in a spray bottle, you have a natural bug repellent that is safe to use on your skin. Be sure to store the repellent in a cool, dark place for best keeping, and enjoy being stink bug-free.