Nope, it's not the CO bean beetle. The pic didn't turn up on that page you linked to (at least not for me -- probably a computer thing). But I googled it and found a wonderful page of beetle pics (linked below). Apparently I've got Bean Leaf Beetles: Bean Leaf Beetle (Cerotoma trifurcata): Adult beetles are reddish to yellowish in color, 1/4 inch long, have three or four black spots in a row along the inner edge of wing covers, and a black band occurs near the outer margins of wing covers. Larvae are whitish, dark brown at both ends, segmented, and have six small legs near the head. Adults chew holes in leaves, feeding on them from the under surface; larvae feed on roots, nodules, and on stems just below the soil surface, which can girdle the plant. more pics of them here (they do appear in yellow as well, which might have added to my confusion): http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegal/coleoptera/beanlb/blb_yellow_red.html http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/M1185.html http://www.oznet.k-state.edu/dp_hfrr/extensn/problems/beanleaf.htm They don't seem to kill the plants, for me they've just been a pain in the ass. Luckily, this year (so far) I've seen far fewer than last year. (Though last year was horrible for a lot of things. We had Japanese Beetles everywhere.) It's a very strange thing. I've combed through my gardening books (the main ones being E. Smith's Vegetable Gardener's Bible and Rodale's Encyc. of Organic Gardening) and none of them mention Bean Leaf Beetles. Perhaps I just missed it somehow. I put fresh Cucumber Beetle traps (in bright yellow plastic cups this time) among my squashes. I did see my first striped CBs this evening. Caught and killed about 15 of them. Here is a link that might be useful: Beetles

I'm shocked to see some of the comments here on castor seeds being poisonous. Growing up in the Caribbean we picked the pods and laid it out to dry just to hear it pop and see the seeds fly out. Now that I'm older and trying to adopt a much healthier lifestyle I have been using oils such as castor oil, rosemary oil to name a few for my hair. It does wonders for my hair and scalp, no itching no dandruff and promotes great hair growth as it helps with circulation . Picked some pods just this morning. Rastafarians have been using it for centuries in their hair and to oil their bodies after a shower. I also know that fresh pure castor oil can be ingested to purge and it works immediately too. Someone mentioned on this forum it's cheap. Let me tell you good pure castor oil is not cheap you can easily pay a good US$50.00 or more for a liter. I know that pharmaceutical grade is available as well and seem to be a little more affordable but I don't use it.

Polyethylene glycol is an ingredient in a number of internally taken medications and is not toxic. The most toxic antifreeze is methanol (not used much any more) followed by ethylene glycol (quite toxic) and propylene glycol (not so toxic). I think the similarity of names got you mixed up. Jim Here is a link that might be useful: Antifreeze

Exterior foam insulation is great in theory. But as Building Science Corp. says in "Understanding Foundations," "Unfortunately, exterior foundation insulation can have significant application problems that often make it impractical to employ. The first is the difficulty in protecting the insulation layer during the construction process and subsequently during its useful service life. The cost of a protection layer often is more expensive than the insulation itself. The second is insect control. Exterior insulation can be an "insect interstate" that provides a direct pathway into the structure. Poisoning the insulation or the soil is often the only viable approach with exterior insulation as barriers ("termite shields") have proven problematic (Lstiburek, 2004). Third is the problem of thermal bridging when brick veneers are used (Figure 5). There is no known practical cost effective solution to the thermal bridging brick veneer problem when exterior basement insulation is used. The heat loss is so severe as to almost negate the insulation layer (Timusk, 1981)" It's essential to fix leaks before insulating. Just what is "excessive hydrostatic pressure"? Basement leaks usually don't get better; they get worse. That said, ccspf is a great product for insulating the inside of the foundation. I've used Walltite by BASF on basements, as well as garage ceilings and other hard-to-reach spots. There is no logic to spacing the basement framing an inch away from the wall. I have the walls sprayed, then the carpenters build the wall as tight to the insulation as they can. You can add fibrous insulation between the studs if you want to increase the R Value at a lower cost than using more ccspf.