The problem with trees is that insects love climbing up in search of food and shelter. This not only damages the tree leaves but could also kill the entire tree. This happens because the tree goes through massive stress as its leaves and bark are eaten up. This process is known as defoliation and climbing insects are one of the major causes of it.
So what can you do about these insects? Thankfully, there are products such as Tree Tanglefoot that prevent insects from crawling up the tree. But if you don’t have Tree Tanglefoot, there might be an alternative that you never thought of using: Vaseline. It is useful in trapping those insects as they crawl up the trunk. But are these products safe to use? Read on and find out all about Tanglefoot vs Vaseline, what they are effective against and which is more effective in use.
Key Takeaways
- Tree Tanglefoot is a pest barrier product that is used to trap insects that try to crawl up trees.
- Insects that try to crawl up trees are looking for food, shelter, and a place to lay their eggs. It depends on the insect and why they are crawling up.
- Vaseline and Tanglefoot head-to-head to see which one is better in terms of effectiveness, longevity, harmfulness, etc.
What is Tree Tanglefoot?
We all know that Vaseline is a petroleum jelly product, but what is Tree Tanglefoot? It is a pest barrier product that is like a sticky tan-colored gum that traps insects. They are considered to be weather-resistant so they are perfect to use for the harsher weather between October to March. That is the perfect time to use it since that is when the insects crawl up trees the most.
What is it made of?
Tree Tanglefoot is made up of natural gum resins, vegetable oil, and wax. The gum resin and wax help trap the insects that crawl up your trees, while the vegetable oil acts as the repellent that wards off any oncoming insect. While insects might still try to climb up the tree, vegetable oil is good for the lubrication of the gum and wax of the Tanglefoot.
Which plants need it?
The plants that need Tree Tanglefoot are in the name of the product: trees. Fruit-bearing trees like apple, cherry, apricot, and orange trees are some of that are most susceptible to insects crawling up them. They provide food and shelter for insects, which is harmful to these trees.
Because of its sticky gum, Tree Tanglefoot is mainly used on trees and not on smaller plants that have green stems. They might hinder the growth of smaller plants and even young trees so the best trees to apply Tanglefoot are the mature ones.
Where to apply?
One thing I can tell you is that you do NOT apply Tree Tanglefoot or Vaseline directly on the tree trunks! This is because trees breathe through their bark and promote growth through them. Applying it directly on the bark will hinder growth and damage the top layers of the bark.
Instead, you have to use Tanglefoot Tangle-Guard Tree Wrap or another similar tree wrap to protect the bark. Then you slather the sticky Tree Tanglefoot on the wrap. This prevents the bark from being damaged and can easily be removed when needed.
You could also use Tree Tanglefoot on some cotton to plug theclimbing up the plant holes in the bark of the tree. This will also prevent insects from burrowing inside it to lay eggs. The natural resin in the Tanglefoot makes it safe to use on trees.
The use of Tanglefoot is to stop insects from climbing up the plant. So now let’s look at what types of insects go up these types of plants.
How Insects Damage Trees?
There are various reasons why insects crawl up trees. From shelter to food, different insects crawl up for different reasons. From moths to weevils, here are some reasons that insects crawl up trees.
Moths
In the winter, when the female gypsy moths are wingless they will crawl up the trees to lay eggs. They will immediately die right laying eggs but the eggs are the worrying part for the trees. When they hatch in spring, they will eat what is around them. From the leaves and bark, the new hatchlings will burrow and defoliate everything in the trees! This is especially a big problem for trees like peaches which need careful nurture.
Aphids
Fruit-bearing trees are the perfect feeding ground for aphids. They are attracted by the color (especially yellow) of fruits and eat them thoroughly. Once they are done eating, they produce waste products in the form of honeydew which attracts mold trees. So not only do aphids eat the fruits, but they also attract mold that could bring in diseases that can kill your precious tree!
Ants
And from aphid’s honeydew secretion comes the colony of ants that love them! Ants love to feed on the leaves of trees but they will be more attracted to the honeydew that aphids leave behind. The last thing you want is a large number of ants crawling up and down your tree and destroying it from both inside and outside!
Caterpillars
Caterpillars might look harmless but they are big eaters. One single family of caterpillars would be enough to defoliate a whole tree. They also love flowers and eat through everything that is in their path! They eat so much because they will eventually form cocoons to become moths or butterflies.
Worm/Larvae
Mostly worms are creatures that live underground. So when you see worms on your trees, they are most likely larvae of other insects. This is especially concerning when they are the larvae of boring insects like weevils and bark beetles. They will bore through the bark and destroy the tree from within!
The simple use of Vaseline or Tanglefoot can help protect your trees from all these critters trying to climb your tree! Let’s look at how Tanglefoot and Vaseline compare against each other on certain criteria.
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Tanglefoot vs Vaseline Head-to-Head
The simple use of Vaseline or Tanglefoot can help protect your trees from all these critters trying to climb your tree! Therefore, let’s look at the effectiveness of Tanglefoot vs Vaseline and compare them head-to-head on certain criteria.
Versatility
Tanglefoot is mainly used on trees, but that is where their versatility sort of ends. They cannot be applied to smaller plants to stop insects from crawling up because they could be harmful. Even using it on young trees could be tricky because the band it is applied on might hurt their growth. Vaseline is much the same. Their thick jelly will stop trunks, stems, and leaves from breathing properly. But due to the natural resin of Tanglefoot, it is a much better substance to use in holes of tree trunks.
However, one trick you could use with Tanglefoot on smaller plants is to smear a bit on a toothpick and stick it near the ground of your plants. The vegetable oil in Tanglefoot might be able to repel some insects. But another oil like coconut oil has more fatty acids that can repel better than vegetable oil that is present in Tanglefoot. Vaseline will not repel insects, unfortunately.
Ease of Use
When Tree Tanglefoot is used in combination with a tree guard or a plastic wrap around the trunk of the tree, it is very easy to use. The same can be said about Vaseline. Just make sure whatever wrap you are using is oil-resistant due to the oil present in both products. Vaseline could be used with your hand and fingers but Tanglefoot is too sticky to be used with only your hands. So Vaseline is easier to use!
Harmfulness
Tanglefoot uses natural, non-toxic materials, which makes it safe for humans and pets. However, due to the presence of sticky gum and wax, it might be a problem for birds. For birds that try to eat the insects stuck on the Tanglefoot might get the sticky substance on their wings. This will be a problem as they will die trying to get rid of the sticky substance.
Similarly, Vaseline will be harmful to birds for the same reason. There is also the fact that squirrels and other tree-loving animals might get stuck in Tanglefoot. Vaseline is safer for squirrels as they won’t get stuck but if they ingest it they will get sick!
Longevity
Typically, Tanglefoot could be used for a long period of time, up to 2 months before having to reapply it! This is because of Tanglefoot’s weather-resistant capability. However, Vaseline is a jelly that will dry up within 3 to 4 days of use. So longevity-wise, Tanglefoot is better for long periods of time and especially harsher weather conditions like snow and rain, while Vaseline is not that resistant.
Removal
Because you have to use a tree guard or an oil-resistant wrap to use, it’s very easy to remove both Vaseline and Tanglefoot! Tanglefoot has the advantage of already producing its own tree guards while with Vaseline you will have to find a suitable one.
Effectiveness
In terms of effectiveness, Tanglefoot has the slight advantage of being able to repel as well as trap insects that climb trees. Both are made from oil-based products that will kill insects easily. However, Vaseline is made from petroleum jelly while Tanglefoot is made from natural resins.
Tanglefoot can also trap insects better than Vaseline because of these natural resins. Vaseline can trap, but it is more likely that Vaseline slows down the insects rather than completely stop the insects.
If you are thinking of effectiveness in terms of cost, Vaseline is a lot cheaper than Tanglefoot so it could be used as a cheaper alternative.
| Tanglefoot | Vaseline | |
|---|---|---|
| Versatility | Could be used as repellent on smaller plants but is not really effective. Could be used inside holes in the bark. | Better to use it on mature trees rather than small plants. Can’t be used inside barks. |
| Ease of Use | Very easy to use, have to use a plastic spatula to apply it | Very easy to use, can use your hands to apply it |
| Harmfulness | Harmful to birds and squirrels, could trap them | Harmful if ingested by animals |
| Longevity | Up to 2 months from one smear | Have to reapply every 3 to 4 days |
| Removal | Very easy to remove depending on what wrap is used | Very easy to remove depending on what wrap is used |
| Effectiveness | More effective in trapping; uses natural products, costlier | Slows down more than traps insects, uses petroleum jelly, less costly |
FAQs
Vaseline is not good for trees because it will prevent the leaves or bark from being able to breathe.
Never apply Vaseline on leaves because it will block the stomata. It is the same for bark as it will need to breathe as well. Instead use an oil-resistant wrap to apply the Vaseline.
Vaseline might be able to trap ants and aphids but it is not sticky enough to block a large number of insects.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it! I have put a comprehensive guide on the use of Vaseline and Tanglefoot. Overall, I will have to say that Tanglefoot is a much better product to use than Vaseline. It traps insects better and its slight repellent also makes it much more versatile. It cost a bit more than Vaseline, but I would rather use Tanglefoot to ensure that my trees are safer than Vaseline. Maybe in emergency cases, I would use Vaseline if I was out of Tree Tanglefoot. Otherwise, Tanglefoot all the way!
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