The Minty Scent That May Double As A Natural Stink Bug Repellent

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Stink bugs, including the invasive brown marmorated variety, are commonly seen outdoors throughout much of the U.S. and Canada. They also are known to enter homes, especially during winter. While they are prone to damaging garden plants, fruits, and veggies, such as tomatoes, outside, indoors the biggest problem with stink bugs is usually the foul odor the emit. If you find yourself fighting to keep stink bugs from invading your home, one possible solution is to combat one strong smell with another. That is because natural oils derived from peppermint or spearmint emit a minty scent that may double as a natural stink bug repellent.

Mint oil is thought to repel stink bugs and other insects for a variety of reasons. One theory is it overwhelms their own scent, which they use both for defense and courtship. The scented pheromones stink bugs release are not just used to attract females, they are also used to signal others of possible food sources and navigate their way back to safety. Because of this, stink bugs tend to avoid areas with scents that can disrupt this pheromone communication and mint oil may do just that.

While there are a variety of different mint plants, when it comes to choosing a mint oil to use as a stink bug repellent, some argue that peppermint is a stronger scent and, thus, more effective at repelling stink bugs. Peppermint also contains considerably more menthol, which has been shown to be an effective insect repellent, than spearmint. However, a study by the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program at Cornell University found that spearmint repelled 95% of the stink bugs that were initially attracted to a bait. These results show spearmint to be quite effective, so whichever mint oil you choose will likely yield results.

There are a couple of different ways to use mint oil as a stink bug repellent. One is to create a mix of mint oil and water, using a ration of 5 drops of peppermint or spearmint essential oil per cup of water. Then, spray this concoction around areas where stinkbugs enter your house, such as windows and doors. It can also be applied to areas outside, such as porches, plants, and flower beds to create a barrier further from your home. Reapply every few days or as the scent of the mint lessens.

You can also soak cotton balls in mint oil, then put then near spots where stink bugs enter or are likely to be hiding, such as cabinets, closets, and pantries. This method tends to last a bit longer, but the cotton balls will still need to be refreshed or replaced every few weeks. One way to automatically refresh the mint oil scent in your home is to use spearmint or peppermint oil in a essential oil diffuser.