Hedge apple is not a variety of apple. Rather it is an alternative name of the fruit Osage orange. But it is not a variety of orange too. But unlike apples and oranges, hedge apples are not eaten by animals.
Today, we are going to discuss and find out whether hedge apples keep spiders away or not.
Do hedge apples keep spiders away?
Hedge apples possess the ability of keeping spiders away. They are a natural spider repellent because of their citrus-like smell. Fruits of hedge apples can be placed around the house to stop spiders from entering. They can also be placed in crawl spaces and the basement.
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Hedge apples are famous for being a natural spider repellent. Their citrus-like smell drives away the spiders effectively. If you want to keep spiders out of your house, you can place hedge apples all around your house. This will stop the spiders from entering your house for good.
You can also get rid of spiders that are living inside your house by placing hedge apple fruits in baskets. Hedge apple fruits need to be replaced after one week as it starts to rot right around that time.
The smell of hedge apple is key when it comes to repelling spiders. Spiders do not dare to eat hedge apples as they are not edible and the inside of hedge apples smells even more. Hedge apples can be sliced into pieces in order to increase their effectiveness as a spider repellent.
Why do hedge apples keep spiders away?
There are several reasons why hedge apples are able to keep spiders away for good. Let’s discuss some of those reasons.
The scent of the fruit:
The fruit of hedge apples is known for secreting citrus like scent. This scent is not enjoyed by spiders at all. Spiders will avoid going into crawl spaces that have hedge apples in them. Spiders also avoid going into gardens that contain hedge apple trees.
The usability of hedge apples:
Hedge apples are very easy to use as spider repellent. You can plant the hedge apples around the perimeter of your garden to keep the spiders at bay.
You can also place the hedge apple fruits along the perimeter of your home to stop them from entering your home.
You can even place hedge apple fruits in the crawl spaces of your home in a basket to stop infestation of spiders. The variation of usability gives hedge apples the best chance as a spider repellent.
The affordability of hedge apples:
Hedge apple trees are common throughout the United States of America and they are grown in abundance. Hedge apple fruits are very cheap. You can buy them from fruit stores at a low price or you can grow them yourself.
This affordability makes it a popular spider repellent.
The taste of hedge apples:
The fruit of the hedge apple does not taste good at all. That is why all kinds of insects including spiders avoid eating them. This is another reason why spiders tend to stay away from hedge apples.
Because hedge apples are not a source of food for spiders or any animals.
How to use hedge apples to keep spiders away?
There are methods and steps that you can follow to keep spiders away by using hedge apples. Let’s discuss in detail about some of them.
Collect the fruits:
When the fall comes, the fruits of hedge apple trees start falling on the ground. At that point, you will have to collect those fruits if you want to use them as spider repellent.
Place the fruits around the house:
If you face an infestation of spiders on a regular basis, you can start by placing the fruits of hedge apples on every side of your house. This will stop the spiders from entering the house because of the citrus like scent produced by the fruits of hedge apples.
Place the fruits inside crawl spaces:
Your house might already be infested with spiders. If that is the case, you can also place some fruits of hedge apples inside the crawl spaces or in the places that you see spiders most often. The fruits have to be placed using a basket or a bowl.
Otherwise, the fruits will start leaking after a certain period when they start softening up.
You can also place slices of hedge apples in the basket rather than the whole fruit for better results.
Replace the fruits:
The hedge apple fruits stay good for seven days or so. After that, you will need to replace existing hedge apple fruits with new ones. You can also add new hedge apple fruits instead of replacing the old ones.
Do hedge apples keep bugs away?
Hedge apples are known for being natural insect repellent. The sliced pieces of hedge apples can keep bugs away. It is most effective against small bugs that live inside crawl spaces of your house. The whole fruit hedge apple might not be as effective as the sliced pieces.
Because the slice pieces will be better at secreting citrus like scent than the whole fruit.
If you are struggling to keep bugs away, you can try hedge apples as repellent. They are great at driving away bugs with their smell and they are also inedible because of their taste. Taking all of these into account, using hedge apples as bug repellent is not a bad move at all.
What insects do hedge apples repel?
It is believed that hedge apples are good at keeping away insects. The list of insects that hedge apples repel includes mosquitos, cockroaches, chicken mites, spiders, and mice. The insects do not enjoy the citrus like scent secreted by fruits of hedge apples.
If you want to get rid of insects living in your basement or in your crawl space, you can start by placing slices of hedge apple in those areas as an insect repellent. The slices of hedge apples are more effective than the whole fruit.
Is hedge apple poisonous?
Let’s discuss in detail whether the hedge apple is poisonous or not for animals and humans.
Dogs, cats, and other animals:
Dogs, cats, and other animals generally stay away from eating hedge apples. Because hedge apples have a nasty smell and flavor. But it does not contain any toxic element that can harm dogs, cats, and other animals.
Some animals might consume the hedge apple out of curiosity or because of food shortage. In that case, you will see animals choking because of the structure of the fruit. The choking is not a result of their toxicity.
Humans:
Humans do not eat hedge apples as they are not edible and do not contain any necessary element for the human body. Hedge apple is not poisonous for humans. But eating a hedge apple can cause some discomfort in the stomach.
How to keep spiders away naturally?
If there is an infestation of spiders, some steps can be taken to keep them away naturally. Let’s discuss in detail about some of them.
Use of citrus fruits:
Spiders can not stand the smell of citrus. If you want to keep spiders away from a specific area, you can place citrus fruits there. Citrus fruit smell can be turned into a spray with the help of vinegar that will make the process of keeping spiders away more effective.
Use of vinegar:
You can apply vinegar as a spray to keep spiders away naturally. You can mix vinegar with water and spray it on spider affected areas. The reason behind vinegar being a natural spider repellent is the acetic acid it possesses.
Use of mint:
Mint is another natural spider repellent. You can mix mint oil with water and use it as a spray to keep spiders away naturally. Beside that, you can even use mint leaves to repel spiders for good.
Use of diatomaceous earth powder:
You can also use diatomaceous earth powder to get rid of spiders inside your home. You can apply the powder directly or you can turn it into a spray with the help of water.
Look after your house:
The best way to get rid of spiders naturally is to look after your house. Looking after your house includes cleaning and vacuuming it regularly.
You will also need to clean your basement and crawl space on a daily basis and make sure that no place remains unattended.
You will also have to make sure that the spiders do not have easy access to the inside of your home. Keeping your house neat and clean gives you a better chance of keeping spiders away for good.
Final Thoughts
Hedge apples can definitely be used to keep spiders away. Spiders can not stand the smell of hedge apples and will do anything to stay away from this smell. Hedge apple fruits are great at driving away spiders from the house. They are also good at keeping spiders away from confined spaces.