The pests I am referring to are the larvae of the Winter Moth, the Mottled Umber Moth and the Vapourer Moth. These larvae, once they have arrived at their destination, will begin to deposit their eggs around the fruit buds and in the crevices of the bark all over the tree. No damage occurs this time of the year. The tea tree oil group also reported less itching and greasiness,' she adds. 13. Tea tree oil can treat thrush

These pests are devastating because they feed on fruit buds, reducing the amount and quality of fruit produced. If your skin is prone to irritation and sensitivity, you could try diluting it using olive oil, coconut oil or almond oil before applying.

Tea tree oil for spots

Most moths that lay their eggs in fruit trees arrive in November, just before the weather gets really cold. You’ll need to have the bands in place before they arrive in the garden. You can buy fruit tree grease bands, also known as gel bands, in your local garden store. Using gel bands is not difficult. You don’t need any special skill to wrap them around the trunks of your fruit trees. Simply place them around the trunk about 18 inches (46 cm.) above the ground. Each year, choose a different position for the ring of grease. You can install it slightly lower or slightly higher. This will help you continue to target insect pests as they adapt to the solution. What does fruit tree grease do? Tea tree oil is said to support natural hair growth and help people who suffer with dandruff. Here’s how:

This natural oil has been known to be as effective at repelling insects as many standard insecticides and repellents. In addition to Winter Tree Wash, Vitax has formulated Fruit Tree Grease to specifically deter winter moths and other fruit tree loving insects. Fruit Tree Grease will trap the female, wingless adults providing a good indication to the level of infestation on each tree. When the winter has passed and the temperatures begin to increase, then the eggs of the larvae will produce lots and lots of little caterpillars. These will begin their munching feast on all that freshly-appearing green foliage. Then, worse still, once blossom time is over, they will then start chomping away at the young fruitlets just as they are appearing.

What is tea tree oil?

You can get fruit tree grease bands, also referred to as gel bands, at local garden stores. You may also find them just about everywhere online. With a blend of surfactants and natural oils, it removes insect debris, dust and wax which insects use to secure their eggs. Suitable for use on evergreen plants, it removes contaminants from the leaf surface to increase light exposure and encourage photosynthesis. In one small 2001 study, 18 patients with recurrent genital herpes used either a 6% TTO gel or a placebo on their genital ulcers,' says Dr Lee. 'At the end of the study, ulcers healed faster in the TTO group, being healed at 9 days, compared to 12.5 days in the placebo group. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is a 'super bug' which causes wound infections and is resistant to many different antibiotics, but studies have suggested tea tree oil is effective in preventing it. If you want to make your own essential oil treatment to help maintain healthy hair, dilute tea tree oil 1:10 with a carrier oil like almond oil, or just mix a few drops into your shampoo or conditioner. 1

In a controlled study, people with nail fungus used straight tea tree oil or an antifungal medication for 6 months. At the end of the study, about 60% of people in each group experienced partial or full resolution of the fungus ( 19). However, other markers of infection such as viral titres, and the length of time viral cultures remained positive, were the same in both groups. 'Used primarily for insect control, these bands help to create an impenetrable barrier that prevents the females, who are wingless, from climbing up the trunks of the trees to lay their eggs. Tea tree oil is also widely used as an antiseptic. 'It can be used for the treatment of small superficial wounds and insect bites,' says Kaura. 4. Tea tree oil can reduce your risk of viral infections Terpinen-4-ol also appears to increase the activity of your white blood cells, which help fight germs and other foreign invaders ( 3). Tea tee oil has an anti-oedema effect as it has an anti-histamine action and this helps reduce tissue swelling,' says Dr Lee.

In general, it’s best to speak to your GP first if you have any chronic medical conditions or are taking other regular medication. Both animal and human research suggest that applying tea tree oil may help reduce the severity of these symptoms ( 24, 25, 26). What you'll need is an old paint brush and the pot of the fruit tree grease. So each pot should be enough to do between one and two mature trees. So you’ll probably get two trees out of that pot for this size. Dip your paintbrush in, it's quite gloopy and then just work it in. It doesn't have to be pretty, but just put plenty on and get into all the crevices. Putting grease bands on a fruit tree is not challenging, but the difficulty level depends somewhat on the tree type. However, they can also crop up because of bacteria growth on the skin, and as tea tree oil has natural antibacterialproperties, it could help to prevent controlthis type of spot. 2

Bareroot plants

Antihistamines provide relief from sneezing, nasal congestion, and allergies and a recent study has found that topical tea tree oil can reduce histamine-induced skin inflammation. Researchers in one 2003 study looked at whether tea tree oil could be used as a treatment for oral candidiasis (thrush), with promising results. During the testing in the lab, they found that the oil was effective, and a follow-up test on rats confirmed these results. In one 2002 study, 126 patients with dandruff were randomly allocated to either use tea tree oil shampoo or a placebo for 4 weeks,' says Dr Lee. 'At the end of the study, the tea tree oil group showed a 41% improvement compared to 11% in the placebo group.' Depending on where you live and what kind of fruit trees you are growing, you may have to reapply in the late winter, like in February.