Hedge Apples for Pest Repellent

By

halstein

It seems like you would attract fruit flies.

By

kellyfive

I found this article and found it very informative from University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County

Facts and Myths of Hedge Apples
by Dr. Barbara Ogg, Extension Educator

This article appeared in the October 2001 NEBLINE Newsletter
hedge apples - the fruit from the Osage-orange tree -


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.

If you decide to pick hedge apples to check out the repellency yourself or to use the fruit as a fall decoration, it would be wise to wear gloves. The milky juice present in the stems and fruit of the Osage-orange can irritate the skin.

By

kellyfive

So you put them inside not outside of your house. If these hedge apples are Osage oranges, they are poisonous.

By

latrtatr

I think you meant Hedge apples. They are hard and look more like a drying up green orange. Believe me when I say hard my sister and I were picking some in Missouri once and one fell on her head. It hurt! They are the size of a regular orange and have more of a citrus smell to them. You just need one on each side of a door way according to those around here that swear by them. I couldn't see that they did any good.
Crab apples would only attract insects as they rotted. Make jelly instead would be my advice and try hedge apples for bug invasion.

By

ScrpBkBon

My Mother did the same thing and you are right no bugs at all but I will tell you that house house had the nasty odor the whole time she had those things around. She wrapped the bottom in Tin foil and eventually they rotted and leaked. Nasty odor. I would not recommend it at all.

By

Delilah500

Can you give a little more info? How many? Do you place them close together? Or every few feet apart ? Just a better understanding of how this is done. I've never heard of it and I have a crab apple tree, so I should have enough to do it. Thanks

By

Toebeanie

Hedge Apples work well for this. Known in the midwest as Osage Orange.

By

foxrun41

You can't be serious.