Sandy0225 Thanks so much for the info on the aerosol insect bomb. I never knew that existed for home greenhouse owners. Aphids and spider mites (and sometimes whiteflies) are a constant problem in my greenhouse over winter so I will try the aerosol insect bomb you suggested. Once all of my plants (mainly tropicals like hibiscus, banana and citrus) are brought into the greenhouse for the winter and I spray the insect bomb, do I need to repeat the spraying on a regular basis all throughout the winter months? Please tell me what kind of insect control regimen you use all winter to keep your greenhouse bug free? Should I still continue to use my systemic insecticide (in the soil) in conjunction with the insect bomb all winter? BTW, one local nursery told me not to use miracle grow in my greenhouse during the winter because the sweetness in the miracle grow formula attracts aphids which I did have a major problem with all last winter. He suggested using only osmocote to feed my plants in the greenhouse over the winter. Can anybody else verify or refute this? Thanks for your help in advance. Hans

I found the answer from this link posted in the Container forum (below). From the article: "Bryan goes on to say "the murky water that is left after one initially rinses the diatomaceous earth (NAPA Super Absorbent) for the first time is actually a mechanical pesticide. I spray the liquid on my trees if they get aphids and the aphids are gone the next day. The sharp microscopic edges of the Diatoms cut through the exoskeleton of the insect causing them to dry out and die." Here is a link that might be useful: Cat Litter as Bonsai Soil

I am at a loss as to where to go,we have a large swarm of bugs similar to teds except black, some have a red spot on their back, some just have a red out line, that makes it resemble a tuxedo.I am new to the area, when the warm weather first arrived it was swarms of lady bugs trying to get in. that did not bother me except that they would die, so I scooped them back out side as much as I could. I just do not know what these are . thank you Gail

Hi, I was just going through some hollyhock seeds last night before putting in the freezer! Did you know that if the weevil is getting big in the seed, you will get a tiny bit of bug ooze coming out when you thumbnail the seed? Yuk! Anyway, no, freezing doesn't damage them at all. If you put seeds in an air tight container and put in the freezer, you must wait until the container comes to room temp before opening. Opening early can kill the seeds. That is why I just put my hollyhock seeds in a paper bag in the freezer and leave them in there for at least a week. Now, if I was doing long term storage of seeds in a freezer, I would put in an air tight container. Remy