The Kitchen Ingredient That Doubles As A Powerful Stink Bug Repellent

Unpleasant to look at and worse to smell, stink bugs are one pesky species to have cohabitate with you. Gross as they are, there is a way to get rid of stink bugs without needing to unleash heaps of chemicals in your home. The next time you're doing your grocery shopping, look out for a jar of cloves. The fragrant spice is not only perfect for making warming dishes but also acts as a natural stink bug repellant.

While the bugs aren't harmful and won't pose a deadly risk to you or your pets, they can be a major nuisance thanks to the foul smell they often release (hence their name), something nobody wants in their home. Because of this, while the species can actually be useful in a garden setting because they consume plant-eating pests, they're not necessarily something you want in your home. Don't worry if you spot one scuttling across the floor though, as this popular spice has you covered.

For this hack to work, you'll need to buy whole cloves, not ones that have been halved or ground down. Take a handful of cloves, and disperse them in areas where you have spotted the stink bugs as well as near doors and on windowsills, as these are key places where they often enter. If you're dealing with quite a few of the pesky creatures rather than three or four, it's time to bring in the big guns, aka clove oil. This powerful essential oil won't just deter them from entering your home, but will actually kill them.

Keep in mind that clove oil can be harmful to other bugs, so use it with caution. Additionally, essential oils can be harmful to pets, so always be careful when using them if you have an animal that roams freely. Other than these risks, cloves are a great way to rid yourself of your stink bug problem in a more natural way.