Olpea, my impression is the vast majority of the beetles do not fly far at all. They can fly far but they usually don't, since they pupated by a good food source by definition (there was enough food for a female to lay eggs). Back when I had a big population I would find JB grubs in the soil when digging a fruit tree hole about half the time. I mainly eliminated them by squishing them at night with a flashlight. After about two years of this I had very few beetles, only the dozen or so that would fly in each year. I used Surround with success for some periods as well. If they were flying all over I would get more than a couple dozen every year. They are still all around my neighborhood, just not in my yard anymore. In that MSU study it sounds like there was a large population directly incident on the field. A couple beetles came right over, found food and called over their buddies. Milky spore has been proven effective around here, I think the evidence is about as strong as for any widely recognized pest treatment. It may not work as well in other climates however. Scott

With reference to Colorado beetles, in my experience the best approach is to scout the plants for beetles every two or three days and squish them. Start early because the adults emerge first and they're not too bad, but they produce lots of young which do the worst damage. I don't use a pesticide because the beetles are cleverer than I am; potatoes and their predecessor species have been developing pesticides for, say, 500,000 years. The beetles have overcome these pesticides one by one in a sort of arms race. Where potatoes are grown in bulk, including parts of Michigan, Colorado beetles have overcome every pesticide tried on them; the more they are challenged, the more they develop resistance. It's not surprising that the beetles can overcome artificial pesticides developed these last 50 years. So I don't bother with pesticides and I squish 'em. For more species of insect pests, the most useful are the umpteen species of minute wasps, ranging from 1/10 inch to 1/50 inch long. You never see them but they do great work parasitizing pest insect eggs and larvae. The best way to encourage them is to grow the small-flower plants they like most. #1 is boneset, #2 is sweet alyssum, and somewhere in the top ten is Riddell's goldenrod. This is a slow solution. Similarly, doing ones best not to harm those black ground beetles is the slow-but-sure answer to slugs. Flee beetles on eggplant and brassicas, however, can only be stopped by using row covers on immature plants, which doesn't get rid of the beetles of course. So my advice is to think long term and hold off on the pesticides which, after all, kill as many beneficial insects as they do pests. Regards, Peter.

This product is indeed a synthetic detergent and not a soap. It isn't organic, either. It's main ingredients are Sodium Laurel Sulfate and another surfactant, depending upon variety. These are synthetic surfactants, derived from coconut oil, yes, but done in a lab. These surfactants mimic soap's surfactant properties, but are not soap. I formulate soap and body products so I have experience in this area. I've seen many gardeners, even organic gardeners, recommend using any dishwashing liquid, so you would be in good company by using it. I will only use real soap, myself, knowing the difference. To find real soap locally, you'd need to find a soap maker or purchase a liquid soap from your local health food store or a local grocery store with a natural products section.

Interesting. From Wiki centipede article: " Centipedes are found in an array of terrestrial habitats from tropical rainforests to deserts. Within these habitats, centipedes require a moist micro-habitat because they lack the waxy cuticle of insects and arachnids, and so lose water rapidly through the skin." Doubtful the soil of your plant is also housing enough critters to sustain centipedes, though possible. I wonder if they just find it a convenient place to stay when not hunting? If that is the case, repotting may or may not help if they are generally in the building and just hanging out in the pot. Keeping the soil less moist should make the pot a less habitable environment. Elevating the pot so air reaches the drain holes well (and are a bit harder to find if you're a bug crawling around on the floor could also help, if the pot is sitting on the floor (an assumption that a $50 tree is that big?) Some centipedes do eat organic matter, so if excess moisture is causing roots to rot, that could be attracting them as well. SM's are usually on the bottom of leaves, so any spray should be aimed there as much as possible. Are the leaves of this plant smooth (without hairs?) If so, wiping them with a cotton ball that is damp (not dripping) with rubbing alcohol can remove them. SM's can also be rinsed, if it's warm enough to take it outside and hose it down. If the soil/root ball is not 'shifty,' you can also lay it on its' side and do that in the shower. Try to avoid getting the soil soppy wet, I usually put the pot at the other end from the drain. For plants that get SM's while inside, it's usually an ongoing battle to keep them at bay until plants can go back outside. They can show up from nowhere, so prophylactic systemic treatment before bring in does not ensure your plants will not get SM's later.