Marguerite, I purchased all my Coleus from one mailorder nursery (in 2004 and 2005) but pretty sure they were pestfree when received...especially as I kept them all near sofa the first few days so I could admire them...LOL They spent all summer on my patio so probably picked up mealybugs (or eggs) there. I think I've found part of the answer...attached article says Coleus very susceptible but constant inspection and washing can prevent infestation and spread if caught early. Also, I just had 3-4 little mealybugs...not all over the stems as I've seen in photos (shudder!) Another thing the article recommended was growing potplants inside house a little dry and using less fertilizer. In winter I just "maintain" my plants, not try to grow them...and I never use fertilizer (although some may be in some of potting soil I buy). My house is kept between 66-68 degrees F days and cooler still at night so they sort of go into hibernation mode. So maybe I was doing the right thing inadvertently. I'd always felt fortunate not to have had pests on my tropicals indoors...I think possibly my method of brisk thorough shower and watering well and then letting pot dry out a good bit was, in addition to catering to my laziness, a good insect preventative...LOL Of course when outside they get thorough spray/watering every other day...temps in 90's all summer here. But they flourish and grow so well they don't mind the lower light, cooler temps and reduced water in winter inside. Oh, the one Coleus that got the mealybugs was 'Klondike', orange-red leaves with yellow edge. Iside house it fades to a soft copper-pink but still nice. josh Here is a link that might be useful: Mealybug Life Cycle & Prevention

Question 1. Dead heading a flowering plant all depends on the plant. As debndal stated removing spent flowers only if you don't want seeds from the plant or don't dead head annuals so they can reseed. Dead heading something like a geranium you would cut it all the way back to the stem that the flower is growing on. Something like sweet williams (Dianthus barbatus) you can sit there and dead head each spent flower or you can shear it back with scissors which is easier and faster. If it is a lily only cut off the flower head and leave the stem because this is what the plant gets energy from for next years growth. Then there are some plant I just let the flower fall off the plant, like rose of sharons. As you can see there are many ways to dead head so if you need know how to dead head a certain plant you'd have to ask how to dead head it. Question 2. Debndal answered this one Question 3. I'm with debndal I didn't know HD had online orders but think I'd prefer going to a nursery. Question 4. I agree beans are very easy and fast. My grand son had a project he was doing in kindergarten with beans I showed him that planting one of the beans it would grow. Everyday when he came home he'd look to see if the bean had sprouted and on the day that it came up he was delighted and though mamaw was magic LOL. BTW, No question is silly as was stated we all went through asking questions.

It would help to know in what context the word judgment was used.

Not an electrician: I believe the NEC prohibits using ducting as a wireway (conduit) because it is not approved for the application. There are also requirements on cables and conduit when in an air plenum, such as a ceiling used as an air plenum. Truly abandoned ducting is just metal surrounding a cable or conduit run. If the duct is greasy, then any conduit in the abandoned ducting should be sealed, and in my view incapable of supporting a fire, such as thinwall, IMC, or rigid. Flex might allow grease to intrude upon the conductors. UG cable might be OK. PVC conduit might be allowed. I have never noticed this particular case addressed in the NEC. For electrical questions, I argue that it is better to ask permission than forgiveness. See your Code Enforcement officer for advice. You may have to tear out some part of the ducting at each end for it to qualify as abandoned. I think it is a good idea, pending approval, if the duct is buried and the path needed is otherwise inaccessible without trenching under the building.