You must remove their food source, and that means controlling grubs in your lawn. You will never be able to buy something that actually works to keep the critters out. Don't fall for the gadgets in mail order catalogs. They do not work. This month, you can use a late-season grub control product, but it will need to be watered in and might take a week to work. Next season, apply a grub preventive, something containing imidicloprid, also known as Merit, and call your VA Tech Extension service to find out when to apply it in your area. It's an excellent resource, and it's free. Here is a link that might be useful: Virgina Tech Cooperative Extension

Haha! Imagine how I feel, Donna! I have this little colony squirming around under my once-beautful phlox, which hasn't even bloomed yet! And now I am remembering a peony that isn't doing well, across the yard, when I transplanted it, there was a small wormlike thing inside the tuber (? hope this is the right term for the bottom of a peony!) Now the poor thing is collapsing to the ground. I hope it can recover. It has never bloomed in the two years I have had it. My current strategy is to capture a couple of the little buggers and take them up to a garden center. They are white but they also resemble an ant without a segmented body. They remind me of miniature white termites without wings. Gosh, I hate them. I did read that tilling the soil would help if they are symphylans; so I went out and did that and they all scurried about. Curse them.

Morz8: I went out with a flashlight and did find a caterpillar on the top of the soil! Only one... but maybe cutworms don't eat every night? It was also brown, so perhaps I missed it's buddies. I'll check again tomorrow night. I guess it's also possible I have multiple pests doing damage, if it does turn out to be only one. Maifleur: The poop was a dark brown color. I don't think it's turtles - the bed is raised 18 inches, so it seems like that would present a challenge for them. If rabbits have left your carrots alone then I guess there went my comfy theory that I had ruled out rabbits at least :). I'll have to see if I can find some way that they could be getting in the yard once it's light out again. Thank you, thank you both for your suggestions!!

I found this thread while looking for an alternative to HUD apartments in New York State which, according to code have spring loaded front doors for all the apartments which open into the halls. This is the third HUD building I've lived in with these doors which sound like a small bomb when they slam full force. Of course there are options. Fortunately I qualify for senior housing and seniors tend to be quieter. One option is to hopefully find an affordable senior building that is well managed and not more than one or two storeys where the apartment front doors open directly to the outdoors [the 2nd floor apartments also open to the outdoors and have exterior staircases for descending. I have seen such complexes but have not yet found one in upstate New York or Sayre, Pennsylvania were I prefer to live. It will be interesting to find out if HUD regulations for spring loaded apartment doors are the same in all states. How to find this out? It will also be interesting to find out if HUD allows weathering stripping, bumpers, or hydraulic brakes on the spring loaded apartment doors. I note that the doors of our laundry rooms and TV rooms at the floor ends have brakes as do apparently all spring loaded doors on the ground floor where staff spends most of their time. I hate moving and I tend to agree with at least one commentator here that oftentimes when you move it will just be some new issue--but that's not always the case, especially if you do your research: Go to the prospective new apartment in person and hang out and question tenants, neighbors, police and check online comments. After reading the many horrible accounts in this thread I feel realize that my housing situation is about "as good as it gets" for HUD. I've lived here for about three months, an although there is some room for improvement[primarily finding a way to silence the spring loaded slamming doors] and I would like to share it We DO have smoke alarms which are quite loud and go off for about 10 minutes a few times a week. If you are able to relocate to Ithaca, New York my complex, Titus Towers I & II is probably one of the best HUD senior complexes in the country. All applicants are fingerprinted and vetted via the FBI. I'm serious. Most of the tenants are very considerate and friendly. There's a large community room, a busy activity room with pool table, desktop computer for tenants, aerobic exercise equipment. There's a large kitchen downstairs which serves hot lunches during the week. There's a large lot in back which is forested and has two gazebos and a community garden. The site is landscaped and frequented by many cute squirrels, ducks and deer. Mail parcels are delivered to you apartment door. Nearly all the tenants try to be respectful and get along with one another. There's great covered seating outside to wait for the bus. There are many activities and even a hair salon on the first floor. One of the best features is shopping. Barnes & Noble , Tops supermarkets, and the world class upscale Wegman's market are within two blocks. Many other upscale shops, fast food restaurants, Hobby Lobby, Staples, T.J. Max, Walmart, Dollar Tree and much more are within three blocks--all beautifully landscaped and handicap accessible. During the week there are two full time nurses and a social working in their offices on the site. The management here seems to be a very caring and concerned about the tenants' well being. There's a tenant council office on site. There's also a chapel in the building. Waiting list is approximately 6 months. If you want to consider moving here I highly recommend that you come to the building and chat with tenants who are out and about on the grounds such as waiting for buses. Ithaca is a great community. It has often been rated in the top 10 for retiring. It tends to be a little to liberal for my taste but this has it's advantageous as there is much activism for the poor. There is so much food available for free from Ithaca food pantries that I cannot eat it fast enough. Ithaca is also a great community for gay friendly living. Also, if you are into Buddhism Ithaca is the North American home of the Dalai Lama and home of his Namgyal Institute for Buddhist Studies. There are also other Buddhist organizations with a presence here. Being Buddhist in Ithaca is regarded as quite normal, if not laudable. Our building appears to be hosting a number of Asian Buddhist refugees. If you are a Buddhist looking for a supportive community to live in I urge you to relocate to Ithaca. If you are a Buddhist senior 55+, a low income Buddhist looking for an affordable Buddhist community alternative I urge you to check into Ithaca for Buddhist living and Titus Towers. NOTE: I do NOT recommend any other subsidized housing in Ithaca because I am a new resident here and I am unfamiliar with the other complexes and I have heard some bad reviews and read bad reviews online about them. Ithaca is one of the most expensive housing markets in the U.S. with one of the lowest vacancy rates but you tend to get what you pay for and part of the reason for the high cost is the plethora of services available here and the highest employment rate of any small city in New York State.