Q Do hedge balls work to keep away fruit flies, ants and spiders?
A Probably not, but there's no harm in trying.
Hedge balls are the fruit of the Osage orange tree, which was planted by early settlers in states south of Minnesota. The trees were used to mark property lines and contain cattle, hence the name "hedge balls." The warty, yellow-green fruit has a reputation for repelling insects and rodents. It's unclear how the fruit earned that reputation or whether it's deserved.
Advocates place the ripened fruit around the house. After several months, the hedge balls shrink and turn brown, but are said to still be effective.
There's no scientific proof that hedge balls work, entomologists say, but there's no harm in having them around the house. Just avoid coming in contact with the milky white substance inside; it can cause dermatitis. Hedge balls are difficult to open, and there's no reason to do so. They are not good to eat.
Dehumidify with closed windows Q I have a dehumidifier in the basement to control moisture. Do I keep the door and windows closed to the basement, or should I open them to air out the basement?
A Most Minnesota basements get quite humid in summer. Our relatively low soil temperatures chill foundation walls and floors, cooling the air. This raises the relative humidity of basements in summer. To reduce dampness, use a dehumidifier. Indeed, most Minnesota homes need basement dehumidification in summer.
Keeping windows, doors and any other direct openings to the outside closed is the simple first step to controlling moisture in the basement. Keeping the windows or doors open will allow humidity to come in as quickly as a humidifier can remove it. Set the dehumidifier to cycle on and off often enough to avoid a musty odor
