The other day I was on our usual route through the woods, taking the dog for a walk. Strapped to the side of an otherwise innocent tree, I found something that hadn’t been there the day before, and which hasn’t been seen since. Someone had posted a question in the woods.
The question is “what smells do bugs dislike?”
I didn’t know the answer to this so I had to do some research. Here are my findings.
- Ladybirds dislike the smell of marmalade.
- Daddy Long Legs actively avoid the odour of pigs and pig manure.
- Butterflies mostly agree that fried onions are heinous, except the Cabbage White which doesn’t mind fried onions but can’t bear the smell of them raw.
- The flat-backed millipede has a deep-rooted hatred of leather gloves.
- Grasshoppers find the smell of pineapple nauseating.
- Bumblebees, honey bees and mason bees all share a mild distaste for the smell of bacon.
- Caddisflies are enraged by the stench of meths.
- Red-headed cardinal beetles can smell hot custard a mile off and it turns their stomachs.
- Cockchafer beetles have enough to worry about and didn’t respond to my survey.
12 comments on “What smells do bugs dislike?”
I misread that as, ‘what do bugs smell like?’
What a fool am I.
The rest of this post must have seemed fairly avant garde after that.
Rest assured Ian, I did exactly the same thing, and continue to do so.
Imagine my disappointment when Crich only tells us what they dislike. Such a renegade, such disregard for our inability to accurately read simple English.
Why can’t he write sentences that we can read proper? If it’s confusing to us then it’ll be confusing to everyone else. His selfishness astounds me sometimes.
All bugs like the smell of matches. OK? OK.
But what do bugs smell like? Do they smell of matches or herbal tea or school benches? Tell us, Christopher
I did not intend for this to turn into a sort of general bugs and smelling Q&A.
Fine. Bugs smell like toothpaste, but only very faintly.
I will not be answering any further questions.
He’s making it up as he goes along that one.
What a charlatan. No more funding for you, sunshine.
Fine. FINE. I will be over here, in poverty, keeping all further aroma-based insect facts to myself. Which is, believe me, your loss.
Any idea what lizards smell like? I image it’s warm sawdust.