"Gaiawar" wrote in message
om...
Monique Reed wrote in message
...
Well, osage orange fruits (hedge apples, monkey balls, etc.) *are*
reputed to repel cockroaches, but given that the fruits rot rather
readily and ooze a hard-to-scrub-off milky latex, it's a bit of a
toss-up as to whether it's easier to deal with them or the roaches...

M. Reed

It's a beautiful tree. The Bois D'arc is native here in Dallas. Most
of the older homes sit on rot resistant piers of Bois D'arc that
termites can't enter. They eat the cambium only. The fresh cut wood is
beautiful in its spectrum of yellows. A neighbor friend whose knees
are disabled carves canes from the limbs that I bring to him. I
fashioned a bower from some limbs and hung a bird feeder in it. When
preferred forage is scarce the squirrels will eat the seeds. During
the past twenty-five years I have not seen a Bois D'arc that was
diseased or infested with destructive insects. For an experiment
sharpen a twenty penny nail and try to drive it into a Bios D'arc wih
a four pound hammer. Caution! Wear body armor and a face shield.

Roaches, too common here, are best controlled with boric acid.

-Gaiawar


Greetings Gaiawar. Give my love to Athena.

Roaches here in Houston are best controlled with a well-aimed house slipper.

As for the Bios D'arc phenomenon, I discovered it for myself during the Big
War (WWII) when I lived in Dallas. My neighbor's home needed minor
remodeling, and my dad foolishly agreed to help him in his *add-on* project.
A minor job evolved (there's that dreaded word) into a major one with oft
unscheduled rest periods for the tired-arm carpenters.

What are the botanical dynamics of that wood that make it so unspeakably
incorrigible?

--GenoI hope this is botany relatedRoyer