Well that is the standing as of now: Pat 16 Dorothy 19 Susan 18 Kim 18 Cassie 6 Ingrid 18 Eloise 12 ok those are the folks that have played today and I mailed each one of you a very own hint. Pam has 7 Tally 7 Frances 13 ....hope you are ok Frances!!! ??? Amelia 19 In the morning I will send your special hint out...it does not matter...cause tomorrow is unlimited words :-) you can post. GOOD LUCK!! Glad I am on the other end of this game ha ha ha Lucy

yeah, that's what i thought, too. but over on the tomato forum, they id'd it as leaf-footed stink bug nymph. check out the color plates: http://ftsg.ifas.ufl.edu/LFBIBC.HTM i sprayed some pyrethrin and smushed the ones i could find. at this point in the game, the tomatoes are pretty unhealthy. if this does the trick, great. i'll count my blessings to have had fresh tomatoes from march to july. if not, hello fried green tomatoes and southern peas!

The unofficial Iowa State Bug ... the Mosquito, has been absent from my yard so far this year probably thanks to the weather in June. With West Nile Disease spreading all over many cities in Iowa have spray programs. So far in 2006, my town has not sprayed my area. But last year they sprayed 3 times. Where I live I have an alley behind the house and I live on a corner lot so I get sprayed fore and aft and on the side when the trucks are out. Last year (with the spray)we had almost no lightning bugs, crickets, or dragon flies...a coincidence? However, the flies, skeeters and boxelder bugs were all over. This year the lightning bugs are back, and the skeeters and flies are hard to find. I finally found a spray that actually worked on the boxelder bugs so they are all in bug heaven now. Now, I can hardly wait until the faux ladybugs showup after Labor Day.

plan B ...and on to the next thread!