Sprouts: It sounds like what you may need is tripwires with explosive devices. If you can't trust your own family members, who can you trust? Charentais are wonderful melons with an unfortunate habit. As they are nearing the ripe stage, usually indicated by a subtle color change in the skin, they crack open, ants get in, and it's all over in 24 hours. You can prevent this by checking them every day, removing those that are just at the stage prior to cracking. They will be sweet and delicious. But if it's a 30-minute drive to check the patch, and you don't do it every day as the melons ripen, you will lose a lot. I don't think you are going to fool the folks with these melons, since they also develop a distinct, sweet, melon odor as they reach the ripe stage. Charentais varieties have no particular resistance to mildews. The best way to prevent mildews is to grow on black plastic, spray with a fungicide early in the season up to bloom time, and plant modern, resistant cantaloupe varieties. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

In spring and early summer they pick caterpillars for their young, in late fall, they are all collecting as much nectar as they can get. They will swarm on cowpea nodes, on compost piles containing watermelon, fruit, anything sweet, in the fall. You might want to make sure that your wasps are not yellow jackets, which hover from side to side as they land. Yellow jackets will become aggressive to protect the nest or even a food source. So if a little kid bumps a nest by mistake there could be disaster. I had to burn out a yellow jacket nest this summer and then in fall the survivors swarmed a compost pile full of overripe melons and aggressively protected it. My neighbors have small children, so I sprayed the compost with Sevin and dusted it with borax. The survivors moved to swarming on the cowpeas, so I sprayed the cowpeas with Sevin and hung a soda bottle trap half full of watermelon juice with a dash of dishsoap on the trellis. When I took the vines down, the survivors moved back to the compost pile. I'd almost rather have caterpillars. In fact I did have caterpillars, in the beans and in the peppers, never seen them in either plant before. I wonder what they were.

Sorry to hear about the loss of the garden. they do love that soil we put in don't they!! Just so you know I have had success with corn meal, you put some corn meal down in the garden next to their hills (specifically corn gluten) this should kill the ants in a short time took me a month or two, i just avoided them as best i could. The meal has to be dry so if it gets wet wait till dry again add some more. Supposedly they feed it to the queen and the gluten expands she cannot digest and cannot eat anymore.. I have also heard this is a wives tell, but my ants are gone so... a hand full of corn meal is cheap, and fire ants are not nice! Just be aware corn gluten inhibits seed germination, plan accordingly, it will have to break down.

Can you handle some more soup recipes :-) Debbie's Butternut Squash Soup (favorite from her soup party) Posted by: debbie814 (My Page) on Thu, Feb 9, 06 at 19:42 Sherry, here is the recipe. I can't recall the source, but it is wonderful and so easy. Thai Butternut Squash Soup =========================== 1 medium size butternut squash 14 oz. can Thai coconut milk (unsweetened) 1 1/2 cups light chicken or vegetable broth Cut the whole butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and place (cut side down) on a flat baking dish lined with aluminum foil (for easy clean up). Roast the squash in a 375 degree oven for about one hour. Remove when soft and let cool. Peel and cut into chunks. Heat one 14 oz. can of coconut milk and roasted butternut squash in batches. Remove each batch to large bowl. Add enough broth to thin the soup to your desired consistency. Place in a deep saucepan and bring to hot when ready to serve. Posted by: MQmoi (My Page) on Mon, Oct 21, 02 at 14:54 Butternut Bevy 6 c. peeled and cubed butternut squash (1 medium squash) or one baked squash 5 c. water or stock (I prefer vegetable stock for this) 2 T. sunflower oil 2 c. chopped onion 1 t. dried leaf thyme 4 T. butter 1/3 c. flour ¾ c. heavy cream ½ t. ground ginger 1 t. salt 1 T. tamari Black pepper to taste Optional garnish: ½ c. sliced or chopped roasted almonds Combine squash and water/stock. Bring to boil, then lower heat, cover, and cook until tender (about 25 minutes). Heat oil in fry pan and sauté onions and thyme until tender and lightly browned. Add this mixture to squash. Puree the mixture until almost smooth. Leave a few chunks. Return to soup pot. In fry pan, melt butter over low heat, add flour and stir until well mixed and lightly browned. Add cream. Whisk until blended. Add cream mixture to soup. Return soup to a simmer. Add remaining seasonings. Simmer 15 more--uncovered. CINDY MAC'S BUTTERNUT SQUASH BREAD 1 large butternut squash 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 large eggs 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1/4 teaspoon ginger 1/2 cup pecans, chopped CUT squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Place cut side down in a shallow pan; add water to depth of 1/2 inch. Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until tender; drain. Scoop out pulp; mash. Discard shell. Measure 1 3/4 cups pulp; reserve any remaining pulp for other uses. BEAT butter, gradually adding sugar; beat well. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. COMBINE flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices; add to butter mixture alternately with squash, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in pecans. Spoon batter into greased & floured 9x5x3 inch loafpan and bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Or bake in 4 small loaf pans for 50 minutes/mini loaf pans 40 minutes.) COOL in pan(s) on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan(s), and let cool completely on wire rack.