As of 2015, several websites market hedge balls, which are also known as hedge apples, as pesticides and insect repellents for the field and home. However, studies show that the pesticide properties of hedge balls are too weak to eliminate insects.
Hedge balls come from trees known as osage oranges. While the usefulness of the fruit is controversial, the tree itself has very dense lumber that makes it ideal for a number of applications. Osage orange lumber is frequently used in a variety of industries, and it is made into things such as fences, posts, tool handles and wood nails.
