Please note the following reaserch of internet data; 1: A very popular pest control product is neem oil. Neem oil is extracted by pressing the seeds of the Indian neem tree. The resulting oil concentrate can be purchased at quality garden stores. Neem is generally applied in a spray to the entire plant. Don��t forget to spray the underside of leaves, because many insects will hide there. The dilution rate for mixing the neem oil is one to two teaspoons per quart of water. To help the oil and water mix, try adding a couple drops of hand soap; make sure the soap is not antibacterial. When the sprayed neem oil comes in contact with the garden pests, the active ingredient, azadirachtin, confuses the insect��s growth hormones. On young garden insects or eggs this contact will cause the insect to never reach sexual maturity, meaning that no offspring will be produced. Neem oil is effective against spidermites, aphids, scales, fungus gnats and even harms beneficial insects. Neem can also effectively remove powdery mildew and rust. HOWEVER; Neem oil should not be used on edible plants and are going to be consumed. Neem oil is a SYSTEMIC PESTICIDE and will be ABSORBED DIRECTLY INTO the plant that it is being used on (you may also only just place it in the surrounding soil and it WILL absorb it). If one does intend to use neem oil on a plant that is edible, it is best to make sure that none of the neem oil comes into direct contact the with fruits or vegetables (Best Practice). 2: Reported effects of neem oil on humans are summarised. Two cases were described where oral administration to young children resulted in acute toxic effects. The oil, even in small amounts (5ml)was reported to cause toxic encephalopathy. Features were vomiting, drowsiness, tachypnoea, and recurrent generalised seizures. Laboratory tests showed that the oil causes leukocytosis and metabolic acidosis (Lai et al., 1990). Sinniah et al. (1982) reported the case of a child, who died after administration of the oil as treatment for a cough. Autopsy findings revealed changes in the liver and kidneys consistent with Reye��s syndrome but unlike those described in acute aflatoxicosis. As aflatoxins have been identified in oil samples, the toxic action of the oil may have been due to the synergistic effects of aflatoxins and other toxic components in the oil. In indigenous medicine in India, the oil is considered to have a contraceptive activity 3: It should NOT be given internally to the weak, very young or the old and must be avoided by any pregnant women, or women trying to become pregnant. High continuous intake could cause liver problems. Neem seed oil CAN (as its been reported), when taken internally, produce a toxic effect in humans, and side effects include diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, acidosis, encephalopathy, etc amongst other things. The toxic effects might be due to the presence of aflatoxin and other toxic compounds present in Neem oil. Neem oil shows toxicity to fish like tilapia and carp, and oral administration of the oil in rats and rabbits (at 14 ml/kg and 24ml/kg respectively) produced a severe hypoglycaemic effect and possibly targets the central nervous system and lungs. Taking Neem oil internally is not recommended and taking internal doses as small as 5 ml has killed infants �V I would recommend to err on the side of safety. Neem capsules containing the aqueous extract are also sold �V but it is an extract from the leaves, and is not the oil itself. If you do your research beyond the blue i think there is more to the story. Personally try these Red Pepper, Garlic and Onion Spray Chop an unpeeled onion and a head of garlic. Simmer the onion and garlic with 15 ml (1 tbsp) cayenne pepper in about 1.5 litres (2 �� pints) water for 20 minutes. Cool the mixture, pour into a jar, seal, stand for six weeks and strain into bottles. To use, mix 15 ml (1 tbsp) of this mixture with 750 ml (1�� pints) water. Add a little soap solution. Use as a general pest spray as well as for caterpillars. Note: Do not allow this to come into contact with eyes or skin. You can find these and more at www.angelfire.com/ri/ixia/Insect.html other organic sites also state use of edible oil to be mixed in to these "like" ingredients.

Oh my! Such a nice group of responses to my post. And I thought I was the only one visiting this forum during the holiday weekend. anntn6b - I'll have to get up to speed on the terminology ('abnormal' is about as technical as I get) but will take your advice and look for the doohickies you mentioned. The asymmetrical leaves will sometimes have lobes (think of mittens with one or two thumbs). These lobed leaves are found directly under or very close to the rose bud itself but not in a compound set. The compound sets, however, will sometimes have an uneven number of leaves or be asymmetrical from one side of the stem to the other. And some sets show the beginnings of a spiral - perhaps a 90 degree turn. I'm thinking these are early signs of RRD - especially in conjunction with other signs or when I see more than one occurrance on the same cane. My garden is a no-spray zone. Not because of any principle but mostly because I'm a lazy girl. My roses have been selected for hardiness and disease resistance. I've learned to tolerate or squish the bugs and my robust feeding & watering seems to take care of the rest. The more I look at my roses the more I see signs of RRD - or maybe I'm just paranoid. My cats and other family members are worried that I'll see signs of RRD in them and take the pruners to 'em. I suspect that RRD has been in my garden for at least 3 years. It was nice to be blissfully unaware of the situation but I can't go back to that. Have a lovely weekend everyone, Karol

Hi Anna! I wrote "Only bottom water" for the sick treated bulbs. Just so that the wounds would heal good and that the STAG do not develop/spread further. I just hosed down my hippies today as we have had no rain for 3 days now. And the hippies LOVE these on hot weather and keeps the mites away too. LOL!!! The thing is to keep a watchful eye. Once I see a red spot or two, I seperate them, far away from the rest and treat them ASAP before it spreads. I usually bring them inside my garage. It's my ICU. It is best to catch it at the earliest stage if ever as treatment is easier. If you don't see any signs, then they are fine. After growing hippies for so many years now, I have developed this beliefs. I will try to give them the best growing conditions I can give them that I can afford. I can ONLY do so much. Nature will have it's way no matter what. If a Hippie gets sick or dies, it did not die in vain as it has taught me a lesson well learned. (Remember these words Frank?) Hippies are very strong plants. If their leaves get sick, they have "life" stored in their bulbs. Their bulbs are developed as a "defense system"...layer upon layer of scales protecting it's heart (core). If both leaves and bulb get sick, it still holds it's lifeline...the basal plate and roots. Don't worry too much Anna. Unless you're going through PMS like I am. Then I totally understand how you feel. LOL!!! Ahhhhh...fall is just around the corner. I can't wait till the Hippies are put to rest. I AM tired and would love to have some rest too! Happy gardening to all! And hope 2009 season will be a Stag free one. Yeah right! This is almost impossible with all these stag infested bulbs they are selling us.

MizLizzie, It is very nice of you to share the issue with Cambria since we are thinking about using man-made hard surface for kitchen counter in the upcoming kitchen remodel. The incompetent fabricator messed up counter top edge and sink cut out in our hall bath. I have no confidence in him of redoing the counter top, I worry if he would make things worse by damaging connected backsplash, cabinet, faucet and sink. It has been two months; the poor work still bothers me so I know I would never be able to accept it. We too have demanding jobs and frequent business travels. We are trying to find the best time slot for the rework. Congratulations for your childâÂÂs college graduation. Ours finished his graduate school last May. After the ceremony, we parents congratulated one another and jokingly shared the tips of calculating pay back rate for the bailout loans we provided. It was a lot of fun. This post was edited by azmom on Thu, Jul 4, 13 at 12:31