Mental Floss

Instead of Squishing Stink Bugs, Make This Easy DIY Trap

There‘s a way to catch stink bugs without spraying pesticides or squashing them, and it involves a pan, a lamp, and soapy water.
ByCaLea Johnson|
They’re not exactly cute and cuddly.
They’re not exactly cute and cuddly. | Nikolay Slavgorodskiy / 500px/GettyImages

Although brown marmorated stink bugs are generally harmless, they can wreak havoc on crops and invade homes by the thousands. Luckily, you can make a simple stink bug trap using only a few items you may already have on hand.

  1. How to Make a Stink Bug Trap at Home
  2. Why You Should Never Squish a Stink Bug

How to Make a Stink Bug Trap at Home

Holding Stink bug
They aren‘t invited inside the house. | Edwin Remsberg/GettyImages

In 2014, NPR spoke to the Virginia Tech scientists who came up with this cheap, DIY pest control method. The experts tested three types of stink bug traps: One trap consisted of a lantern on a pyramid base, another used a plastic soda bottle with a light inside, and the last was made of a roasting pan with a table lamp. After testing and comparing all traps over two years, the scientists concluded that the turkey pan trap was the best for catching stink bugs, even when controlling for location differences.   

Making this trap is simple. All you need is a foil pan, a lamp, and soapy water:

  1. First, pour about a half-gallon of water into an aluminum pan.
  2. Mix a bit of dish detergent into the water, and slosh it around with your hand.
  3. Shine a desk lamp, preferably one that can direct light on a particular spot, onto the water.
  4. Let the setup sit in an unlit room for a while.

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The lamp makes the water look inviting to the insect, as it mimics the sun’s rays. It will think the spot is a warm place to mate, so it’ll crawl into the pan and get stuck in the soapy water. The experts found that the pan-and-lamp option was 14 times more effective than the other homemade traps, which made it easier for the bugs to escape.

Note that this stink bug lure may be less effective during the fall and winter months. The insects are mainly attracted to light during the spring, when longer days signal mating season. Nonetheless, it’s a thrifty, pesticide-free option for catching stink bugs that’s worth trying.

Why You Should Never Squish a Stink Bug

Stink Bug Closeup, Pests, Pest Control Concept
Your nose will thank you if you don‘t squish them. | Jena Ardell/GettyImages

These insects aren’t called “stink bugs” for nothing. The critters contain putrid chemicals, some of which smell like skunk or rotten cilantro. These chemical compounds include trans-2-Decenal, which is found in cilantro, and trans-2-Octenal, found in plants like the black walnut. Stepping on stink bugs will release the smelly chemicals all at once, which means they can be even more of a nuisance dead than alive.

Stink bugs are just one of the invasive species you should watch out for; here are some more that may be living near you.

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