Cats like to roam around the garden, so their fur easily comes into contact with caterpillar glue. When applying the sticky mass, contact between clothing and glue can quickly occur. If you want to remove these residues, you have to use special means.
How do I remove caterpillar glue from different surfaces?
To remove caterpillar glue from clothing, use denatured alcohol by gently rubbing the affected area and removing the glue. You should use vegetable oil on hair or animal fur: rub it in, leave it to work, comb it out and clean it with soap solution. Sand is suitable for glue residue on the tree trunk.
Denatured alcohol for clothing
Ethanol has hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties, which is why the substance is used as a solvent. Fats, oils and resins dissolve easily in alcohol, which is contained in denatured alcohol. If you want to remove caterpillar glue from clothing, you should first test this method on an inconspicuous area. How to check if dyes dissolve in the liquid.
Vegetable oil for hair
Vegetable oils from rapeseed and sunflower are excellent solvents for sticky substances. These have lipophilic properties, which is why dried caterpillar glue residues dissolve in salad oils. Follow these steps:
- Rub glue residue generously with salad oil
- leave for a few minutes
- Comb out leftover animal fur and hair
- Scrape off residue from clothing with a spoon
Grease stains can be effectively removed with mineral spirits (€23.00 on Amazon). Gall soap is an environmentally friendly alternative. Hair and animal fur are cleaned with a gentle soap solution and rinsed thoroughly with clean water.
Sand for glue residue on the trunk
Caterpillar glue is a natural product that weathers over time. Its effect remains for six months until the substance has dried out and no longer sticks. The residue can be removed from the trunk with a little force and the right tools. Rub sand onto the glue residue and carefully scrape it off with a plastic scraper.
Creeping and adhesive glue
Caterpillar glue is made from fossil raw materials and is colored green. This coloring is said to be attractive to caterpillars that feed on green parts of plants. Flying beneficial insects that specialize in colorful flowers should not be attracted to the glue ring on the fruit tree.
Adhesive glue is characterized by the fact that both landing and crawling insects stick. Creeping glue is a variant that is gentle on beneficial insects and prevents flying insects from sticking when looking for a place to land. Unwanted visitors who crawl into the glue ring cannot escape. This prevents bridging caused by adhering leaves and dead insects.
