Here’s a neat trick or hack using vaseline to organically control pests like aphids or scale/mealybugs on a fruit tree. Smear vaseline around the trunk of the tree to stop ants from climbing up and protecting the aphids/scale. This leaves the pests vulnerable to being eaten by predator insects and thus reducing the numbers in an organic way without using harsh pesticides. Enjoy ๐
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Self Sufficient Me is based on our small 3-acre property/homestead in SE Queensland Australia about 45kms north of Brisbane – the climate is subtropical (similar to Florida). I started Self Sufficient Me in 2011 as a blog website project where I document and write about backyard food growing, self-sufficiency, and urban farming in general. I love sharing my foodie and DIY adventures online so come along with me and let’s get into it! Cheers, Mark ๐
G'day Everyone, I just wanted to quickly state that Vaseline is indeed "organic" and I disagree with the fake outrage (from a few people here and on fb) that the use of petroleum jelly in this way is somehow environmental vandalism. If I were to be particular, Vaseline itself is derived from crude oil which is formed from plants and animals so technically completely organic. Regardless, my main point is Vaseline used in this way has no detrimental effect on the environment nor does it contaminate food or harm animals, unlike pesticides! So with that in mind, it IS a good organic way to help control pests… and also treat cracked lips ๐ Can I take the opportunity to also say, thanks everyone for your wonderful support over the past 12 months – the subscriber count alone has doubled and I have you guys to thank for that! Cheers, Mark ๐
Thick or thin Vaseline will get it in.
My cannabis plant bended by the point where I applied the vaseline… It was a 2 cm thick trunk, so probably the vaseline did something to the plant. I would recommend doing this with caution.
I don't see any wrong with using real pesticides. I'm using Roxion and Malation. I don't know if these are available in Australia though.
VASOLINE IS PETROLEUM ,IT IS NOT ORGANIC, BORAX IS
Vaseline is made from petroleum. It isn't "organic" in the usual way. Just saying.
Because of this stupid trick of yours my Fig tree stem got diseased. The main stem skin got rotten in two places after applying petroleum jelly in those places. People stay away if you like your trees and plants.
Update, vaseline killed my plum, lemon, grapefruit and plout trees.
Careful I don't understand why but after a month or so of using Vaseline to prevent the ants from climbing up the tree trunks I noticed they are noticeably thinner where it was applied. I'm not sure if its preventing the trunk from expanding with the rest of the tree or being eaten away but I definitely will have to try something else. My golden delicious apple was the first one I used it on because it was being absolutely ravaged and its like half as thin in that part as the rest of the tree and am worried it wont recover. Maybe its better for larger trees my trunk on the gd is slightly under a magic marker thickness maybe half inch. After noticing this I checked my other two apples and the one that had it on second longest is showing signs of doing the same thing so I lightly scrubbed all of them to get as much of it off as I could with water and a little dish soap. After looking through the comments here I saw other folk have had similar experiences. Here is pics of my two apples –> https://imgur.com/a/WrIjWLn
btw, i tried this on my scale infested citrus and the vaseline melted and left a greased area on the stem and a few months later sticky sap was oozing out of the base of the tree not far from where i used vaseline. This began the sad slow death of my potted citrus. I'm thinking the vaseline may have caused the demise somehow. Attracted some fungus that is untreatable. I'll have to leave it to everyone if you want to risk it. Just sharing my experience.
Genius!
I use food grade Diatomaceous Earth around the base.
Where i come from trees get a coating of chalk like substance on the bottom part of a trunk that lasts for a year keeping ants away
Vaseline doesn't stop my ants ( (Pheidole megacephala) from raiding pollen from Strelitzia reginae flowers.
Doesn't stop my ants ( and others from raiding pollen or nectar from my Strelitzia reginae flowers.
Hmmm… it slowed the ants down, but then they crawl over it. I read somewhere else that it messes up the chemical trail they use to track each other. It does seem to do that – but I put some on the trunk yesterday, and today the ants were crawling over it and tending their aphid farm. I put it on a bit thicker, but they're still crawling over it. Wider?
As far as i know vaseline is not organic as a dervative of oil.
Do not under any circumstances use Vaseline around the trunk of any fruit tree specially papaya. I follow his advice and lost seven fruiting papaya trees. The Vaseline is petroleum base and it penetrates the bark of the tree. The area that was Coated itwith Vaseline, Rotted all of the bark within a couple of weeks.
The vaseline is MAGIC for stopping green spined citrus bugs (stink bugs) from climbing my lemon tree. The vaseline stops them, and then they are easy to squash (with a glove on).
After reading some other comments on this post, I protected the tree with tape first, and put the vaseline over the tape because vaseline damages the bark and can kill the tree.
I also tried the "sticky side out" idea, which worked very well for all crawling insects, but I found that it also caught skink lizards, which help keep pests down, so I abandoned this technique.
So where do they come from, they took over my peppers.
Just subscribed, great video! Thanks so much!
Kinda like saying cows bribe humans by being tasty.
Now the ants are back again , walking all over the vaseline,
Do not use Vaseline on your fruit trees it will kill them
This video is misinformeding
I had leat-cut ants invade my Guarumo tree – in about two days, it stripped the upper leaves clean. It was devastating to see. I can't thank you enough for this video. The vaseline stopped them. Inexpensive and easy to access.
I been meaning to come back to this video because i did this awhile back after watching it & idk what i did wrong but it did damage the areas where i put it on the trees. It looked like it cooked the areas where i put it. Its been awhile and i been curing them so its all good but i dunno if it was that or what.