Kelthane is an older miticide that people use. I haven't priced Avid but I know that Cape Cod Violetry sells it in small quantities. It is very expensive but at the recommended use rate of 1/4 teaspoon per gallon, a very small amount will last for many years--like one or two oz. For most indoor growers a pint of mixed spray is all one needs to eliminate an infestation on a multilevel lightstand full of plants (hence, what??--a sixteenth of a teaspoon of Avid!!). The characteristic of cyclamen mites that I have come to recognize on episcias is in the center of the new growth. It turns brown and fuzzy, and the plants stop growing. The stolons show this brown fuzziness too, as it spreads. It takes a month or so for the infestion to get really bad. Then the plants get really bad looking and begin to die. Once when I didn't know what I had, I didn't treat the plants till really late, and yet I saved almost all of them. The episcias recovered by initiating new growth from the stem, as all the growth points on the crown and stolons were quite dead by then. People have tried to see these mites, using magnification and microsctopes and often they can't find anything. Its one of the invisible pests that only shows itself by its pattern of damage. It sounds like you don't have them. In small collections c-mites are pretty rare. It took me many years to finally get them and now its been over two years since the last time. Avid has a distinctive smell that isn't that terrible but is pretty distinctive and can last a long time in a terrarium. Anyway, last summer at the AGGS convention (warning:story) I bought a plant of rare rare Kohleria allenii. As I was carrying it around the plant sale in my box, I noticed that it had quite an odd smell to the foliage. Hmmm, I guessed it was one of those few gessies with aromatic foliage. After I got the plant home, via my carry-on bag on the airplane and about a week later, the odor was gone. Then I realized it must have been sprayed with Avid. I had finally recognized that smell. The very same plant grew on a sunny windowsill and now it is in full bud. I am anxious to see this species in flower for the first time. (PS, several months after I got back from the convention, I discovered I already had a plant of allenii, which had gone dormant and resprouted. So, now I have two, but the show differences in foliage so I shall see if I have two seedlings as I suspect or if one is mislabeled. Yes, Johnnie B. at least one of these is from you ;))) Jon

Oh YES....I've had two triggers. I'm now 61, had the triggers about five years ago and these were the very first health problems since having my tonsils out as a kid. The first trigger was on my ring finger and developed from keeping a tight ring on 24/7 and various gardening chores over the years. Went to PT where they created a four week treatment of wearing a splint continuously (comfortable and waterproof) and administering twelve courses of iontophoresis. Iontophoresis is where cortisone is pumped through the skin with a 9-volt battery on the site of the trigger to reduce the internal swelling. Sounds ridiculous, so if you google it you'll have a more credible explanation. Anyway, it worked like a charm on the ring finger. My second trigger was like yours, on the thumb, very painful and much worse than the first. This time had to use the big guns and went to an orthopedist, specializing in hand, arm, shoulder problems. He gave me a cortizone shot in the base of the thumb (ouch) which did not work at all. So I decided apprehensively on the surgery. What a huge success! It was only slightly painful afterwards but I did keep it wrapped and in a protective position as recommended and did not abuse it as I was determined to have it heal properly. They also gave me a little silicone patch to keep on the scar for better healing and less keloid scarring. Again, sounds ridiculous, but it worked. I still do a lot of gardening but have learned how to use the hands so as not to bring the triggering back on any fingers. No gripping of large heavy objects, no hanging buckets of water from the fingers, to pulling and yanking with the fingers. I also still needlepoint daily and, although stitching is repetitive, it is gentle. A few months ago we helped my mother and aunt move and I could tell that this activity over a long time could have produced more triggers on my fingers. So from one who goes to a doctor infrequently and reluctantly, I am completely happy with the results. As far as your surgery, here's wishing you good luck. Please give your thumb every opportunity to heal properly and please relearn some daily tasks to prevent more triggers. My best wishes....

The most cold-hardy variety is the Darjeeling Banana (Musa sikkimensis). You know, one idea would be to design a greenhouse with modular panels that could easily be put up to enclose the banana plant every winter.

Nessdizzle, we got this one: Amcrest 4MP POE IP Camera UltraHD Outdoor Security Camera Bullet - IP67 Weatherproof, 4-Megapixel (2688 TVL), 98ft Night Vision, Surveillance Camera, IP4M-1024E (Black) Amcrest is a great brand. We love the quality of our cameras and the Blue Iris software. Whatever you do, don't get a fake camera!! Criminals can tell the difference, and by the way, real cameras DO have a red light. Also, you will need to get a camera that will go the distance needed for how far away your plants are. Our house is very close to the road. I'm guessing about 35ft off the road, but I wanted the cameras to have the distance to go the length of our property. Different cameras have different distances. I believe back in May when I was shopping on Amazon for the cameras I saw some that go 150ft, but we didn't need that much distance. Let me know if you have any further questions.