Deebs, I have 5 trees planted, 2 in the back, but it'll be awhile before they get large enough for the birds to nest in them. They used to use my large climbers too. With all the cats they'd have to make them up really high. One is a redwood though hitting close to 20 feet tall now, not as easily climbed so maybe. I can't distinguish really between all the worms on the roses, most eat holes through the buds and eat the roses, others the foliage too. I'd like to think the ones I miss are eatting aphids:) Duchesse, they tried to petition the subdivision owner on the claim they didn't know the ponding basin was going to be there. That's a lie, I went through the same process they did to pick the house I wanted. It was right there on the site plan and the layout. In fact we paid extra to get a larger lot to be sort of behind it, about 20ft. They bought their houses knowing that was behind them, they were all sold at a premium price for that much yard. They wanted the basin filled in. Won't happen, by city law there has to be a basin at each new subdivison for the water to go when it rains to help on flooding. The only activity I ever see at the basin area is a couple times a year they come through with a tractor and take out all the weeds. The basin is home to mud ducks and others and geese off and on all year. I like to hear the honks and bullfrogs over dogs barking anytime. I think some of them walk around and squish them on purpose. I saw one of the neighbors vacuuming them up with one of those shop vacs one year. These are all relatively young people that have never owned a home before. They have no idea what they're suppressing and the price they'll pay. They just want to complain about nature. This was a walnut orchard and home to all the birds in the past. I imagine there are so many toads because nature is responding to the masses of white flies. I imagine over time the number will diminish especially with all the poisons/chemicals they'll put out on their yards and bushes. Sorry, pet rant:) I've admired your roses and gardens Patricia, I'm only resistant because they've already ruined those roses, I can't reclaim that now. It's too late. That one rose in the pics above is Irresistible, a mini. There isn't a bud that doesn't look like that. I found 14 ladybugs on it yesterday. The white looking bush behind it is a floribunda hitting over 5' tall for size on this rose. You can barely see the canes behind the redwood even taller. This was last night and these bushes just don't photo well for me in the sun and not enough light, but it gives you an idea of how large. I did try the flour on some of them yesterday skipping where the ladybugs were. That was almost as much fun as blasting with water, some were startled into flight. Some washed off easier, but others are crammed into every nook and cranny of the buds and leaves and new growth. It irritated the bees, lucky they don't like me:) As far as Murphy's Law goes, I was too pleased with early spring and all the healthy looking bushes. I was last year too and spider mites devastated them about this time. So, yeah you better knock on wood, LOL* I know what you're talking over on the Hover Bees but I think they're called something else, Deebs, still I have all different colored ones. Dark green, light green, stripped not stripped. This one had stripes too, from last year's infestation:) I have a terrible memory so if I find one of these, I kill them. Thanks for all the help, I do appreciate all the advice and thoughts on this. Patricia I may yet resort to that spray.

Yes, one hard lesson this year is that prevention is a must. When I had my last garden I used to wait to see signs of pest damage before attacking. Now, that first sign of pest damage is often a total wipe-out of my plants. I also thought that maybe if I let the aphids "have" my sunflowers and ornamental sweet peas, they'd leave the rest alone. That was a huge mistake. Now, I'm having to come out full guns the moment I plant, and I intend to stay away from ornamentals that attract the aphids. But I don't remember having to do that in my last house. It could be that in my new neighborhood, I'm surrounded by agriculture, which wasn't the case when I lived in Petaluma. I had snail problems before, but one of these teeny weeny slugs that are impossible to control without bait. Barb, I don't have lizards, but I do have lots of birds. (They looove my pea seedlings, the little turds, but I encourage them to come around anyway). I have been very pleased that there aren't any hornworms in the new house, and I don't know if that's the birds or the BT. I had those in my last garden and they give me the heebie geebies big time!

Are they a type of cucumber beetle?

I cannot get the camera to focus something so small. Today when I took pictures, I saw that they have some black markings on the red. It is either two lines or a triangle. I need to go outside, then will see if the picture is any better than the last one. I am not too good with the camera. I thought the same thing about the tick, but when I looked at their size beside a kitchen match and a dime, I thought about the size of a tick when I have seen them crawl on me. True, I have pulled off some so small that I thought they were a piece of dirt. I am having trouble trying to think about household items that are consistent. I appreciate all of your input. My major resistance to it being a lady beetle is that I have so many much larger that are in the larva or other stages. I thought they had to go through those stages. Is it obvious yet that even though I have been gardening for many many years, I am still a novice? LOL Sammy