I agree about quality research. Not much beats a well run study with good control groups. I didn't know any had been done on this. Lookig forward to reading it this evening. The gypsum mud was not my own idea but comes from a few respected organic growers. I think their intent was to essentially thicken the latex to get a deeper coating in a single pass. It does go on wicked thick. I think some folks are now trying to use Surround and/or diatamacious earth in the mix. I imagine these amount to little more than convenient on hand filler when bound in a latex matrix, and without a binder would need constant upkeep. I used straight latex for about 3-4 years, and the mix now for 2-3....have not noticed much difference in effect...but I am far from a study group. I also realized that my statement about egg laying deterrent might not be fair since I don't have a control group to compare to. But the damage to young trees has been about the same every year starting with 4 years of nothing on the trunks. The big difference is now I catch the damage early, and the tree usually recovers within a year instead of being killed outright and figuring out why as I inspect the ruined crown after the fact. Damage by the end of last summer just about had me ready to jump ship on all organic and give Lorsban a try..but even those severely damaged trees are rebounding well this year

I think it is time for me to take a stand against the Poke haters here! LOL I'm So sorry to hear that you have had such a bad reaction to poke MulchMama. Are you sure that it was the poke? Since your profile states that you are a "Certified Landscape Designer" you could have possibly been exposed to many other plants that caused the reaction? Are you allergic to peanuts and many more things? You may want to have an allergy test to be sure! I'm allergic to chlorophyll yet I still garden! I have saw a lot of people blame something for allergic reactions that were not related to what they thought it was. I have been around it and used it for many years as a great fresh spring veggie when nothing else is available. I'm not being negative or doubting you or anything, just curious. I have never heard of anyone having a bad reaction to it, that is why I'm curious! When we were kids we would crush the berries and paint our bodies with the dye! We were the original "Blue Man Group" ! Actually purple..... " If you want to go to the trouble of harvesting and preparing it so it can be eaten, fine." I kind of take that as a slap in the face, but I will ignore it and hope you meant it differently! The harvesting and preparing isn't any harder than harvesting and preparing any other green that is domestically grown. Easier actually since it isn't covered with dirt. And it tastes better than any other green that I have ever ate! I can buy it canned at the local grocery stores, I think the brand names are Allens and Glory . So it must not be so poison after all? I'm not wanting to start a piss fight or anything, but poke has gotten a bad reputation from some people over the years that isn't justified. People once thought that tomatoes were poison because they are from the nightshade family, yes parts of the tomato have poison in them and poke does also. But they also ate potatoes, from the same family without a qualm????? A quote that I can't confirm about a brave man that ate the poison tomatoes. "He stood on the steps of a courthouse in Salem, New Jersey and ate an entire basket of tomatoes. He attracted over 2,000 people, who were mostly waiting to watch him die. Women passed out from fear, and the firemen's band even played a mournful dirge. Needless to say, he survived, as did the tomato."

You can differentiate between the Stinkbug nymphs and the Assassin Bug nymphs by the tail end. I have a little blurb that helps me: "Bad Black Bump" which is what the Stinkbug nymphs sport on their butt tips when they are smallish and congregating like little orange ants with long black legs. The clue is "congregate". Stinkbugs are groupies, and usually appear as a whole mass of them together, usually on top of your best tomato... Assassin Bugs, true to their name, are singular and solitary. You will usually encounter them one at a time, or, in my case, if you have a "herd" of them in your milkweed, you will see them down there with adequate space between themselves, and being rather territorial... I consider my "herd" of Assassins to be Allies. They patrol the grass and milkweed and keep EVERYTHING from crawling up to my veggie plants. The downside is that they are afraid of nothing, and will kill EVERYTHING in their path, so this means they do take out some of your beneficial bugs (bennies) as well. However, it's a trade-off, 'cause the bennies might relocate to the other side of your yard and be very safe and happy... Linda

I have an older mattress and my 3" memory foam makes it wonderfully comfy. I got it when I had sciatica and it made it possible for me to sleep. I don't have any problem with it being too hot, though I've heard others complain. I can't sleep with feathers, they make my nose bleed, and I've tried latex foam, and while I like it as a pillow, it doesn't work as a mattress topper for me - it's too soft and doesn't "push back" like memory foam. Good luck.