Easy DIY Stink Bug Trap

A rice paper lamp, oven roasting pan, and light in a dark room. This is the simple trap Dad and I used to catch hundreds of stink bugs at our tiny house.

Watch the full build

What you need

Also shown in the video: bifenthrin concentrate and pump sprayer (optional).

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How to make the trap

  1. Set up the rice paper lamp.

    Assemble it according to its instructions. Use an approved bulb and keep the required clearance between the bulb and shade.

  2. Spray outside and let it dry.

    In our video, we take the rice paper lamp outside, spray the shade with Home Defense Max, and let it dry completely before bringing it back inside. Only repeat this application if your exact product label permits that surface and use. Keep spray off the bulb, socket, and wiring.

  3. Put it in the oven roasting pan.

    Once dry, sit the rice paper lamp inside the oven roasting pan on a stable, level surface.

  4. Turn it on in a dark room.

    Place the setup where you’re seeing stink bugs and turn off competing lights. In our setup, bugs land on the treated shade and fall into the oven roasting pan. Check it regularly and remove collected bugs.

The assembled trap and supplies outside the tiny house
Our assembled trap, shown in the video.
Collected stink bugs from our trap
Some of the stink bugs we collected.

Before you start: Follow your exact pesticide label, including permitted surfaces and all people-and-pet precautions. Drying alone does not make every application safe. Keep the setup away from children and pets, follow the lamp’s operating instructions, and don’t reuse the collection tray for cooking.

Keep new bugs out: Seal cracks around doors and windows and repair damaged screens. A trap helps with bugs already inside; it doesn’t stop new ones getting in.