OMG you guys! Last night, which was very bright outside, my DH & I caught 8 of the critters on our front porch. Probably more lurking, but this is the most we've caught & dispatched to the CTF place in the sky at one time. I had no idea we had so many around here. They've been very quiet lately, probably for good reason. LOL I could almost hear the lizards & little green frogs saying "Thank you thank you". Shirley

The critter is a Red Backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus. It is a member of the Woodland (or Lungless) Salamander family, the "Plethodontidae". This family is unique in having no lungs. Red Backs live under leaf litter, logs, rocks, and such like. They have many cousins, and are one of the most successful salamander families in the world. They also make decent pets, with proper care. Here is a link that might be useful: Eastern Red-backed Salamander

Interesting...Thank you for the prompt identification! Boy, they must be great swimmers! >g

A library might be a good place to start. I have a book called A Grower's Guide to Pests, Weeds & Diseases which is a Better Homes and Gardens publication. It provides pictures (of pests that can be seen with the naked eye). I don't worry too much about pests unless they reach plague proprtions. I think spending time making sure your soil is healthy and growing a variety of things all mixed up helps keep pests to manageable proportions. I have flowers in my vegie garden and let quite a few of the vegies run to seed to attract loads of hopefully beneficial insects. So far, it's worked for me. The link below shows pictures of some pests. Try an internet search on "garden pest pictures" and you'll find other such sites. Hope this helps. Here is a link that might be useful: Some pest pictures