Our gardening guru recommends 1 part liquid detergent in 40 parts water. Spray thoroughly, make sure to cover undersides of leaves too. Wait 10 minutes, rinse with clear water. Repeat 3 times over 10 day period to get hatching eggs. This works like a charm, even on big ugly tomato worms. For the veggie garden, I actually use my hose end sprayer filled with liquid detergent and as soon as I've finished spraying, begin rinsing where I started. It works out to about 10 minutes all round. If I spray before actually seeing tomato worms, often there are hardly any later on. It's excellent for aphids but you really have to do the repeat spraying for it to work. This is all I ever use in the garden for spray. This year I tried using wood ash for my squash beetles and it worked fairly well, at least kept the bugs down long enough for the plants to get going. Just put some in a flower pot and shook it over the plants to spread it around on the leaves, especially in the centres. Here is a link that might be useful: Gardening With Ed

Hi all I know I've been gone for sooooo long, but I'm not really gone. I keep up with all of you and your postings but I just don't have too much time to post back these days. I couldn't figure out what as decimating my irises. After much searching, I discovered that it was this same blister beetle. They move pretty fast and like Laurie said, you can hear them munching!!! So much damage and in just one day. : ( Anyway, I found this thread and thought I'd better bump it up. I probably had about 35 or 40 of the critters and they were spreading to my delphs. Something has been chewing my lilies this year too. That's a bit scary but I haven't found anything yet. Maybe it was these and they've just migrated. They are attracted to the nectar of the flowers. Sorry to all that don't approve, but I grabbed the Raid Earwig Killer. It seems to have worked but I'll have to check tomorrow. they are very active in the day and rest at night. Miss you all. Hopefully, life will settle a bit in the fall and I'll be back. Lacrosse Lacrosse Lacrosse. Shauna

There are two accepted methods to hang on to your geraniums and bring them back as good as ever next spring. Either as Florauk has suggested...keep them in a sunny window and treat as a houseplant.....or put them somewhere where they can be left alone--no watering, no light, no nothing---just left alone, they can be brought back better than ever....and, what is best, can keep coming back, year after year, after year. This method is easy; just give them a space in the basement where the temperature is above 40ú F...(5úC) and where they can enjoy darkness to deny any hint of growth. They can be put there either in the pots you have them, or hang them up---upside down is the usual way---or place the plant on a shelf where they can be left undisturbed....until February or March, when the sun begins its northern voyage. Cut the plant back to about 4" - 5"....clean it up, remove any dead or damaged stems, dispose of any dried flowers, take a look at the roots to make sure they are not damaged....then with a clean pot--(clay is nice), place something in the bottom so the soil doesn't clog the drainage holes; then using fresh potting soil---do not use garden soil---and heavens, don't use the old potting soil--its done its job so now throw that into the compost or on your lawn. Place the plant in, water it to drainage, dump the excess after 10 minutes, then give it a sunny window where, every other day, you turn it to give all parts equal sunlight. In about 2 weeks you should notice the beginnings of new leaves and in about 6 weeks you should have a goodly amount of foliage. Feed it according to its growth...but very little when first planted. I'd say, the plant cannot go outside until about the end of May...(after Victoria Day) when it is given some daylight outside, then back indoors, then back outside...then back.....you get the idea, to acclimate the plant before it goes out---to stay. This spring your plant might be slow in producing flower buds....but not to worry...flowers will resume in their own time. Repeating this method every year, can ensure your plants live on...and on....and on.... Caution: Never allow the plant to be hit by frost---its a killer.

Sounds like a box elder bug. It's about time for them, and they often act similar to Asian lady beetles.