Campanula, you are right to be concerned. There are unwanted consequences to every bio-control agent out there. I work in ecological restoration and we really dislike preying mantises and crab spiders, both non-native insect eaters, and we aren't wild about the store-bought ladybugs either as they are an Asian species and they appear to be pushing out the native ladybugs. Things like ladybugs and mantises are generalist predators - they eat whatever they can fit in their mouths. Not good for native species! Parasitic wasps tend to be more specific but still no guarantees. We really dislike Bt as well as it kills all caterpillars - the pestiferous ones and the native butterflies all. My boss doesn't like any bio controls - bugs introduced to control invasive weeds or insects. They will eat native species in the same genus as the target pest, for the most part. The USDA does run tests before it allows these bio controls to be released but their focus is not the same as ours - they support agriculture, and native ecosystems are expendable. Ditto for the EPA's tests of biological pesticides - they don't run them long enough or thoroughly enough to uncover all their negative side effects. The needs of agriculture trump environmental health. But, there are no undisturbed ecosystems. Our gardens are all highly disturbed. Garden plants usually are not native and are planted in disturbed, amended soils and watered with imported water and fertilized with imported materials. Even native plants are exposed to imported diseases and pests and unnatural conditions. I feel it's unfair to the plants to do nothing for them when diseased or attacked by insects. I just keep in mind that there are NO 'safe' pesticides - all have unintended effects on nontarget organisms. And bio control agents won't willingly starve to death once the target pest is gone - they'll eat something else if at all possible. I use cultural controls as much as possible, and companion planting to encourage a mix of beneficial insects and predatory birds. I've also come to the realization that perhaps I should leave food production to the professionals! there's plenty of small scale producers selling at the local farmer's market and I should be supporting them since they do a much better job than I ever could in my little urban backyard.

I had a Barnes and Noble 15% off on top of my member discount. Last night, I went and got a book I've seen before and wanted. It's called, "Garden Insects of North America" by Whitney Cranshaw. In it, I found the answer to our questions. I found out that grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids are in the order called, "Orthoptera". Cranshaw says that katydids are usually large grasshoppers with long antennae and thin jumping hind legs. There are different kinds. Here's a quote from the book, "Both the nymhs and adults chew leaves, rarely causing noticeable injuries." I'm still keeping an eye out, because today, a whole section of a flower was gone from the flower the katydid was in. Maybe that wasn't the culprit, though. Happy gardening and nature watching, Sue

I have worked like crazy getting my Lasagna garden started. I hit a bonanza of cardboard, and have lined 3-40ft beds with it, two in tomatoes, and one across the garden in melons, (all are trellised). I had to throw some dirt on the cardboard to hold it in place, and then added grass clippings on top of that. It doesn't look too bad for starters. I found that when I hosed down the cardboard and got it good and saturated, it was easier to cut openings for my little plant starts, and melon seeds. I am so happy with this idea and glad I've started it. Lots of work up front but I think it will be very rewarding. I don't have access to spoiled hay and the like, but I think I can continue adding more cardboard, soil, clippings and compost and get the same results. Tomorrow will be accumulating more cardboard, and macheting down a bunch of Cannas that are getting too exhuberant, to sandwich in between layers of cardboard, along with some soil. I'm trying to avoid having to buy anything to add to this mix. About the burmuda grass, I keep it completely segregated from my gardening areas. About the only good thing I can say about it is that it now gives me some clippings to mulch the Lasagna bed with. As for the trees bordering my property, maybe the saving grace there is they shade out any burmuda, and drop plenty of leaves in the fall. The downside to them, as I see it, is that even though I am building the Lasagna bed, the tree roots will still be stealing water and nutrients underneath. Fortunately,I still have a wide open area for lots of sunshine in the veggie garden, and have somehow managed to grow nice vegetables. All in all, I still think the Lasagna bed will be my way out to improve my soil and hopefully raise up the level somewhat to help with the Spring wetness problem. Today my son "girdled" a bunch of Lombardy poplars at the back of my property to kill them, and cut off a bunch of lower branches, and started what will eventually become a berm by next spring, along with some trenching to allow run off in other directions, than into my garden the way it has in the past. I really owe everyone here a big thank you and cyber hug. There is no doubt in my mind that, even in spite of a super-saturated spring, and getting a late start, this is going to be the start of a whole new gardening experience for me! Shekanahh

It's a katydid. They are not considered major pests and a little bit of damage here and there does not warrant a chemical reaction, if that's what you are thinking. They do seem especially attracted to nice fat buds, though. Perhaps an application with Neem oil, which works as an anti-feedant, would be helpful. I'd only use it on the buds, however. I have no idea what neem might or might not do to tender flower petals. Plus, you don't want to apply it (or anything else) when bees and other insects are foraging and collecting pollen and nectar.