They come and go with how much moisture we have, it seems and with the seasons. Particularly on the shower curtain. It's a 200 year old house with triple course brick walls, both on the interior and exterior, that means a dead air space for three stories from the cellar up. It's part of living in a house this old, in the country. I imagine they are after the spiders, who are after something else. I don't have cooties, fleas, roaches or bedbugs, so I'm not complaining. It's just the predatory chain of command.

Betsy, SO sorry to read that you have been having problems also. So far.....fungus gnats are not on my present list of problems...Thank God for small favors. I really have had enough to deal with, so I'm very thankful that fungus gnats isn't on the list too. I would guess that everyone has different mixes that they use for their seeds. This is a potting mix recipe I came across a while back and it works well. That is if you don't do something stupid like I did and not follow it. :-( 1-2 cu. ft. bag of pine bark fines or soil conditioner. Then add (1) 2lb can of Pro Mix If the ProMix you are using already has perlite in it, you only need to add 3lb medium grade, if it doesn't have any perlite, you should add (2) 2lb. coffee cans of perlite. If the ProMix you use has Limestone added you should throw in a handful of dolomitic lime. If it doesn't have any....you should add 1/4 cup dolomitic lime (not high calcium and not peletized). Add 1/4 cup agricultural gypsum, 1/4 cup Miracle Grow 20-20-20 or any other water soluable complete fertilizer. Add 1/8 cup Epsom Salts, and 2 TBS garden sulfur. 1 1/3 cup Merit Granular (optional to control fungus gnats). I've never used the Merit insecticide, because I've never had fungus gnat problems (knock on wood). Anyway.....you need to mix these ingredients real well dry, and then mix thoroughly again when wetting. Like I said earlier.... I'm sure this is but one variation on a theme, but if followed it does seem to work quite well. Hope this helps. Linda

I strongly believe in knowing the names of all my hostas. Among other things, I record the grower/hybridizer, the year it was first introduced, and where and when I acquired it. I will not buy from any of the various home improvement stores, where labels often get switched around. That being said, every spring I end up with a dozen or so plants without labels. Obviously, the names of the NOIDS most be among the names of the hostas I acquired, and can easily be found. Most of these orphans result from dividing known hostas, when I forget to label the new divisions. Then there are those hostas, which are either sports, OP seedlings etc. and I record them just as well. If you feel it is to early to name them, identify them at least with some letters or numbers. By fall it is time to take pictures of all my hosta beds. I make B/W printouts and walk outside with the stack of paper in my hand and enter each name directly on the print out, or you might use 1 inch dia. Avery adhesive labels to white on. Use color prints if you don't mind the expense. If you are trying to identify plants from a friend, or those that came with house, try to estimate how many years they were with the last owner. That will reduce the number of possibilities drastically.

Thank you, both! My husband is sure that I will feel better about this area if I "raise the skirt" on the yuccas. Like I said, everyone is healthy so I don't like to disrupt them. And that also makes me feel pretty good about how I built up and sloped the area. The drainage must be good, just like I intended. Yes I will be protected when I work on the yuccas. I made that mistake already and had some nice slices on my arms! The neighbors laugh at me when I am out there with my chemistry safety goggles on, but I don't care. And who do you think they come to for advice on their succulents? LOL Good to know that they root easily. My areca palms on the other corner of the house aren't looking too great. If I lose them, that will be 6 palms and 2 areca stands that have succumbed to ganoderma! Enough already!