Good info. Thanks. Dave

...I mean the "eggless/cat-less" plants. After posting this, in my urgency to get the cats into some "home," I found a link to a "raising MBs" site, and put them in a tupperware container with a wet paper towel. They seemed to have settled down (when I found them, and took the leaf off, they were all wriggly). So they're on my kitchen table at the moment, and I took some of the plants out of the pile and put them in vases. I don't know how long the MW will last in a vase; hopefully long enough for this project. There are probably 100 or more cats on this leaf. After I found them, and stopped ripping out the MW, I don't know if there's enough for all these cats. I'll probably end up taking them all over the neighborhood trying to find a new stand of MW for them to do their thing on. I don't own a fish-tank or anything to raise them completely. They'll have to go back outside. I feel like a louse.

How wonderful , I would definatly send this story and photos to Cornell http://www.nestwatch.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=577 , It would be a great story to put on the Cornell nestwatch site. May even want to send to Birds and Blooms mag, they love these stories and we are talking about an unusual nesting in flowers!! I think you get some kind of compensation if B&B uses your story. www.birdsandblooms.com keep us up dated!

emagineer: "Plus a bit of wondering about lead paint used." Due to rust from aging/water, this is a real concern. One could check in the sink cabinet most likely. They sell lead paint detection swabs at the big box stores for around $15. You get an instant read: positive or negative. I understand accuracy of the test is quite high. Anyone know? palimpset and others: does anyone know when lead paint on metal cabinets stopped being used? Some time in the 1970's the EPA acted on removing lead paint on new products. The RetroRenovation site rejects any quires or discussion of this subject regarding metal cabinet paint and lead. On these old cabinets, it's a pertinent question since their sale continues. Interesting photo: a little too bright and monotone for me. Thanks for posting though.