What’s the story behind this recipe? 1. Why bay leaves?
Bay leaves contain strong volatile oils, most importantly eucalyptol and linalool. The smell when you boil them is very strong for insects. Insects like the smell of food and dirt, not the strong smell of herbs. So they run away. 2. Is it true they’ll never reappear?
No 😅 That’s a Facebook exaggeration.
The truth is: the smell makes them temporarily flee from the place with the smoke/steam. So their numbers will decrease significantly in the hour and the next two hours.
But if you still have garbage, uncovered food, or stagnant water… they’ll come back because the house is still “tempting” for them. 3. How do you make it? The method: Take 10-15 dried bay leaves. Boil them in a saucepan of water for 10 minutes until strong steam starts to rise. Reduce the heat and leave the saucepan uncovered in the middle of the house for an hour. Close the
