The story that the fruit of the Osage orange tree (also called hedge apple, monkey ball, or spider ball) can repel or ward off spiders turns out to be extremely widespread in Midwestern states ...

“We kick spiders out of these all the time," Doy ... He thinks the hedge ball fruit can be developed into an exfoliate. A doctor is helping him test hedge-ball oil as a colorectal remedy.

Rosey Gaier, from Armada, had several baskets filled with the weird fruit — and she was selling them for a buck apiece. Spider balls are the fruit of the Osage orange tree. Folklore says they ...