Where you have a problem with spiders and other creepy crawling critters, put hedge apples, the "fruit" off an Osage Orange tree in the place where the spiders are and in a few days you'll not have your creepy crawling critters any longer.
By Terri
Where can I find a Osage Orange Tree. I live in Tulsa, OkK(05/28/2005)
By Carol
They grow throughout the midwest. You could call around to nurseries near where you live. They say that they grow in zones 4-9.
(05/28/2005)
I have never heard of Hedge Apples. Where do you get these. We have black widows around our house and other spiders. I would love to get rid of them. (05/29/2005)
By Gayle
They must work better than chestnuts! I've seen a spider nest BEHIND a chestnut in a corner! heh. I am sooo arachnophobic, thanks for the tip. (06/28/2005)
By Garrett
We have hedge apples everywhere and they don't seem to help at all. I have even seen spiders crawl right beside them. I just put them by the doors and around in the garden. Am I doing something wrong?
By Tonia
This is a myth. Go to this link:
http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spidermyth/myths/skineggs.html (04/25/2006)
By John
Actually the "myth" about hedge apples is half true as quoted from the site link below if you wish to read the whole article
"The belief about the use of hedge apples for insect control is widespread and persistent. it is claimed that placing hedge apples around the foundation or inside the basement will repel or control insects. A few years ago, Iowa State University toxicologists extracted compounds from hedge apples. When concentrated, these compounds were found to repel insects.
Scientists also found that natural concentrations of these compounds in the fruit were too low to be an effective repellent. So, don't be fooled into spending much to use hedge apples as an insect repellent."
By Amie
Don't pay good money for Hedge Apples! I live in Iowa "right in the Midwest" and we get lots of spiders this time of year. We use hedge apples to get rid of them disgusting spiders and they work wonderful. We live in the country and have lots and lots of hedge apples. If you would pay the shipping cost I would be more then happy to mail you a box of hedge apples. They are free for us since they grow on our property, so I am offering them to you at no cost. Only the cost to mail them. If interested then please let me know.
Sincerley, Kim (10/27/2007)
By Kimberley
I don't know about "hedge apples", but I do know that horse chestnuts worked for us. I've read that they are the same things, but from the pictures I've seen I don't believe that's true.
We moved to a house that was totally infested with those awful little white spiders. I don't mind spiders generally, but I hate those little white ones - if you get them they seem to be everywhere. We collected horse chestnut "conkers" (the green balls with large spikes that look like a medieval mace) and put them in the corners of the room. Worked like magic.
Two considerations:
1) I think they only work for so long; although they seemed to permanently rid our house of spiders, the same ones used at my in-laws (about three years old at that point) had much less effect. We collected fresh ones the next fall, and those seemed to work.
2) In our experience it's the actual chestnut that repels spiders: they had to be ripe enough to expose the chestnut underneath to work. My father-in-law's experience was that he found a spider sitting on top of an unripe green spiky conker. When he replaced that with a ripe open one (with the chestnut exposed) the spiders disappeared. (07/29/2008)
By Guest
I use them every year in the Fall when they fall off the trees. I put them in the corner of a room where we get small spider mites and small spiders. They are there 2-3 months and work extremely well keeping the spiders away. They are totally gone the whole time the hedge apples are in the corners of the room. I wish there was a way to keep them there all year around, but they do start to rot after 2 or 3 months. (08/16/2008)
By Donna
I don't know about the spider control, but they do repel roaches. When I was in college, my dorm was infested with roaches. My great aunt suggested hedge apples. I put them in the corners of our room and we were the only ones roach free on our floor. So that is my testimonial. (10/09/2008)
By Leesa
Yes they are the best to use for repelling spiders I've tried it and I haven't seen a spider around in months I change them every month. I was amazed not seeing them around. Before I tried hedge apples I saw recluses all the time but now I don't see them at all and I can rest easier. Being bit by a recluse, you don't forget how painful it is with that first bite, let alone the damage it can do. (10/27/2008)
By CJ.
In Central Illinois hedge apples were widely believed to repel roaches and other insects. Whether they have any value in repelling mice is not certain in my mind, but they can't hurt. In the IL tradition the apples are sliced open, exposing the fleshy parts, and indeed this may be why those who report no effect do so, they may not be slicing the apples.
They dry and wrinkly but cause no detectable odor even in pantries, behind refrigerators in kitchens etc. I have sliced hedge apples under shelves in my garage and in select places in my kitchen/pantry area. If they were not toxic, they would not be considered dangerous for children to handle and they would not cause dermititus in some folks. Don't eat or handle them carelessly but hey that's what we say about most insect and rodent baits and treatments. Cheers. (11/01/2008)
By peruano
I have used the hedge apples and found them to attract fruit flies when they begin to rot and get a month old. They seem to work as a repellent but the fly's are now driving me crazy. (12/26/2008)
By Edie
I didn't believe about the Hedge apples until I tried them. Yes, they do work but you have to know exactly what to do. Split each one in fourths and put one in each corner of each room you want to repel the spiders. I need to get some new Hedge apples now as it has been 4 months and I am beginning to see the spiders again. (02/27/2009)
By Scaredy Cat
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