Hi Dave, Those silvery green talks are arial roots. They are very common on moth orchids - also called Phals or Phalaenopsis orchids. I wouldn't cut them off. Arial roots don't necessarily mean that the orchid is growing out of the pot. Phals are epiphytes - most orchids are. They use the roots to hang onto trees, rocks etc. If you get too many arial roots it could suggest that the plant isn't happy with the planting medium.(bark?) But if you have a new stalk - also called spike - covered in buds than it sounds like the orchid is doing well. After the last of the buds drop you may want to consider transplanting the orchid. It will give you a chance to see how the roots in the pot are doing and to move it to a bigger pot if necessary. Don't move the plant to a bigger pot if it doesn't need it. If it does need something bigger than only go one size up. Orchids don't like to be overpotted. It can cause root rot. This will also be the time to change the planting medium. Bark needs to be replaced every one to two years so it's probably starting to break down a little. (most suggest once a year for phals.) As bark breaks down it holds onto more water and this can also cause root rot if you don't give it a little extra time to dry between watering. You can search this web site for transplanting tips and for more information on moth orchids (phals). There is a wealth of information on it. I hope this helps.

There is enough information there to identify the fly, at least to the family and perhaps genus. Fruit flies tend to have wings with that patterning, and some get quite large, but I'm not sure how large the one in the photos is. If you would measure 20 of your screen grids, that would give an idea of the size. Many fruit flies are house-fly size.

Neonicotinoids, related to nicotine, are in the news a lot lately because they are used in insecticides and have been inadvertently used on bee populations, with bad results (contractors spraying blooming landscape trees last spring). In your defense, large saturniid moths have a very short lifespan and there is a small possibility that the moth was near death when you encountered it, but apparently the cigarette smoke was the last straw for that moth. Your remorse was a good sign, causing you to quit "cold moth" for two days, plus the incident has had a lasting impression.

jerzeegirl -- We're on the same track. Their apartment is pretty small, and all their off-season clothes are stored in underbed storage. She's going to look through all of those just to make sure. I was kind of hoping they used those space saver bags, as a bit of a defense. marcopolo -- "I discovered eggs layed on the page edges of all my cook books." Oh. My. Word. Never in a million years would I think to look at books. Cannot begin to imagine how tedious that was!!!!! That might have finally been the incentive I need to purge some of my cookbooks, mp! carolb -- great minds:)! She said this morning that she ordered some "moth traps" and I'm hoping they're what you've highlighted. It can't hurt, right? I'm also going to talk to her about mason jars. Important lessons to be attentive to storage methods! CathyinSWPA