These shield-shaped munchers are known for the odor they produce when disturbed or squished, which is said to be similar to skunk, powerful cilantro, or coriander.

Personally, I don’t find coriander to be stinky at all, but I suppose that’s a to-each-her-own kind of thing.

Anyway, these greedy critters eat through a wide variety of homegrown fruits and vegetables, including cucumbers, berries, squash, tomatoes, apples, and peaches.

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How do you protect your crops from these voracious vermin? Let’s look at some tried and true techniques.

Tidy Up the Garden

The first step to control stink bug populations is to keep your gardens clean and free of debris.

These pests like to hide in decomposing logs or under decaying plant matter, so keep areas clear of potential homes and breeding grounds.

Remove dead leaves, weeds, and overgrown plantings.

Safer Organic Control

Try repelling these odiferous arthropods by planting – get this – smelly plants. Garlic, catnip, lavender, and thyme are examples.

Radishes, marigolds, and chrysanthemums are also known to repel these pests.

Also consider planting plants that attract enemies of the stink bug.

A study conducted by Lauren G. Hunt, Armando Rosario-Lebron, and Cerruti R. Hooks found that French marigold, buckwheat, and purple tansy were effective at attracting parasitic wasps.

These wasps lay their eggs in stink bug eggs, destroying the developing insect. The wasps are tiny and don’t pose a

plants gardening watering cucumber tomato garlic garden home Gretchen Heber France