Well if it was definately alive I agree with Kristy that it is probably a fungus gnat larvae, though I've never seen one. That is the only thing I can think of. Do you have the little gnats flying around the dirt on your post? I am going crazy with those things, I mixed up some mosquito dunk water to try and kill the larvae and I am going to spray more often to take care of the adults. If you have a problem with them put a peice of mosquito dunk in your water jug to help kill the larvae when you water, and also putting a layer of sand on the soil keeps them from getting in and laying more eggs. Spray raid or something for the adults. I wish I would have bought a bag of sand to have now.....LOL. Oh well I really like my brugs so I will put up with the bugs. Shawn

Hi, I am a newbie and have been collecting BST eggs on my fennel since July. I have raised them inside and so far have released 51. If I were you, I would bring them all inside and raise them. They eat a lot in their last instar, so be prepared to have enough food for them. It has been a joy for me to raise these beauties, and my cats are loving them too. I purchased butterfly pavilions from ShadyOaks Butterfly farm in Florida, but you can use almost any container to put them in, as long as they have enough space to hang when they eclose to dry their wings. Do not overcrowd them. The most I have put in one pavilion has been 14, but I could easily have put in close to 20 in each one with no problems. If you are near a Whole Foods in Dallas, I would suggest you purchase some curly parsley and Dill, as well as the fennel they are eating now. Whole Foods does not spray their organic produce, and I have had no problems with mine eating it. Mine have gotten so fat and healthy. Mine have been eating all three and they like a variety, and these are the host plants for BST. Good luck and keep us posted. Betty

Francy -- I am just delighted to see your sweet name here! (I'm here on the Painting Forum today looking for brand suggestions for painting outdoor furniture. I was outside painting some side tables fuchsia but a thunderstorm has rolled in -- raindrops the size of Volkswagens and a fierce wind. One of my favorite things about a Colorado summer, seriously.) And I'm so glad you like the Impervo. I have to agree agree agree (that's a wholehearted agreement!) with how terrific it is to work with. We had it colormatched to our (factory finished) kitchen cabinets and I have to say, because of its incredibly fluid nature, it is absolutely impossible to tell the difference between it and the factory finish. (of course, the excellent color match helps!) We have it on the wainscoting in our breakfast nook / family room and it is so smooth. In a hurry I painted a shelf using a foam brush and it is the same texture, the same finish as the wainscoting (which was sprayed). It's crazy! I also want to tell you that after having it (and ours is pure, bright white) on since late-April how well it's stood up to our family (puppy, three cats, four year-old "Spiderman," two year-old sticky-fingered / chalk-drawing enthusiast). Our two year-old loves walking around with sidewalk chalk in his hand, drawing wherever he feels like it. (and yes, I let him because in general I can just wipe the chalk up) Anyway, the turquoise chalk seems to have permanently marred the white cabinets (I have yet to find a product I'm willing to have in my home which will remove it). BUT, the same turquoise chalk was drawn on the Impervo-painted wainscoting and it wiped right up -- left no marks whatsoever. The two year-old likes to vacuum (wink wink), and he is rough with it, banging it hard into everything, inc. the wainscoting. Not a problem. The four year-old "Spiderman" likes to climb and has attempted to climb the wainscoting (until he was seen by me, that is), scuffing it. Again, I have had zippo problems wiping it off. I feel like an advertisement but that Impervo is impervious! (For the record, I've also been having great luck with Aura -- a little friend came over to play and colored her palm red; she then left red palm prints on our newly painted wall. I was less than thrilled, but miracle-of-miracles, it wiped right off with no burnishing. Now that left me thrilled!) But I do want to caution you to PLEASE, PLEASE take special care of your wrists! I'd hate for you to get any painting injury -- it is just not worth it. It is not worth it at all. (Now a personal note: Thank you for your lovely note. When you posted pictures of your soapstone delivery [so I saw a photo of your neighborhood] I thought: that looks like Burlingame! But then you wrote about your bicycle and I told my husband [who likes to consider himself East Bay savvy because he moved to the US to attend Cal] and he said: "if it looks like Burlingame then it's XXX." And we'd even been to XXX back when we lived on the peninsula! My cousin [who's a DVM] was filling in for a vacationing vet there so we went to visit her. I can't remember the name of the street, though .... Francy, I'm old so this memory thing happens! You are absolutely one of my all-time favorite people here on GW, so you just have no idea how pleased I am to see you here.)

funcolors: I was SO HOPING you would see this ! I was going to post something to get your attention and approval. I have read your article in haint blue so many times and was going to send for a sample from you. Would you like a paint chip from this ? I would be more than glad to send you a piece of the wood with paint. This is like a treasure hunt for sure and I hit gold. What kind of paint would you suggest on a covered porch in the South ???? Are you kidding!? Yes, I'd love a sample and will reimburse you for shipping & handling! Thank you. I'm so excited that someone is sending *ME* a sample of Haint Blue! lol! SW Duration in matte would be a good choice. Duration's film actually goes on at the thickest mil rate than any other exterior brand. Thickest mil rate meaning the paint film is nice and fat. And that can be a good thing for exterior substrates (surfaces). The haint blue story has been so incredibly interesting. I've heard from people all over the world -- really it's amazing. The store has been very helpful because I was getting a ton of phone calls and emails. A few aren't a problem but it kind of started cramping my time management. And that's why I created the store -- I just don't have time to talk to everyone who wants details about Haint Blue. I'd be nice if I had that kind of time because it's very fun hearing all the stories but reality creeps in. Moving to the southwest, I've learned about Taos and Mayan blue as well. I don't feel confident writing about them yet and I really don't feel confident enough to create my own interpretations of the colors. Maybe this summer. I dunno, not sure.