Perhaps she was connecting the name "Bayer" with the aspirin. Not many outside of gardening circles know Bayer is involved with many other products and is heavily into the manufacturing of pesticides. I saw that 60 Minutes piece also. The inference was the Bayer product mentioned, not Messinger or either the Bayer 3-in-1 or Advanced Disease Control. Mentioned was an agricultural insecticide manufactured by them, and sprayed on large scale food crops, which has been shown to cause memory loss, failure to feed, immune deficencies, and a long list of other symptoms in bees resulting in their being affected more by diseases that have always been around but is now causing them to lose their way home and not eating. The fact the beekeepers are not finding dead bees in or around the hives suggest they are disappearing while collecting honey and away from the hive. It was further suggested the over use of insecticides by homeowners and golf courses was a contributing factor. A picture of a bag of lawn grub control was shown when this was said. With bees responsible for 50% of the pollination of our food supplies it's time we take some responsibility and not run for the insecticides as soon as we see a bug and a hole in a leaf or or flower bud. While insecticides kill when sprayed directly on the bees, there is also a residule effect that occurs by exposure to treated plants. The systemic products can have trace amounts in flower nectar and pollen, while others can be absorbed by contact with treated plant surfaces. A video of a bee removing pollen from it's body with rapid movements of it legs showed it can spread contact insecticides into it's body. It was also stated that once an bee hive has been infected and is empty, other bees will not eat any honey that may be in that hive, suggesting the residue is in the honey which can cause death of bee grubs futher adding to the problem. While possibly not the only causal agent, I sure don't want to take the chance and and add to the problem. I'm considering asking a bee keeper if they'd like to place a hive in my insecticide free yard. While I'm not immune to bee stings, the bees don't bother you if you don't appear to be a threat. Don't swat at them or wear perfumes. I just ignore them and they leave me alone.

Spider mites can quickly build up an immunity to even the more expensive remedies (AVID). I'd hate to see what they do with something that requires you to spray every 7 days in order to get the fungicide protection. Before I incorporated Banner Maxx into my spray shedule I had used only Orthos Fungunex (active ingredient is Triflorene-now named "Ortho Rose Pride- Rose and shrub disease control"). It was and is still very effective. The only advantage that I can see with BM over Fungunex is the length of time between sprayings. In fact I really feel that in the early spring Fungunex is a better choice. As for the Bayer products, I can't say they aren't good, I'm just saying that Fungunex (Triflorene) did such a good job for me that I never needed to try anything else.

I don't know how soon you can fertilize. I would guess when you see improvement. I don't think it would hurt to give the cuttings some superthrive but don't despair. I had some of the first cuttings I got that didn't take root and grow for about 4 or 5 months. I was about to throw them out one day when I realized they finally had made a few roots. I think it was cotton candy that took forever but I could be wrong. Some are just slow growers it seems like and then all of a sudden they take off when they are good and ready, lol.

Dori, I saw your recent post and had to satisfy my curiousity myself by going to Home Depot tonight, and finding the same exact product these people read me.. Just so happens the instructions said nothing about indoor containers..Just container plants in general...Now if I am to guess what you are feeling about this, I would say you would of told me to leave it there on the shelf.. So I did,,:-) Now since I passed this product up, please help me kill these buggers....I have no idea how long it takes for them to die..Here it is 2 days later after I sprayed them, with neem oil,alchohol,murphies oil soap,dish soap, and fish emulsion mixed together. It looks like they are still hanging on, especially on the veins of some of my citrus...Is is because the temps are very cool in my room, and they do eat or are not mobile at such cold temps? Will they eventually die off? Do the temps need to be warmer to encourage activity? Do I have to find every single one of them, and scrape them off? I have no idea how many could of infected my other plants..:-( What would you do? I have about 40 plants in the same room and I only saw this scale on just a couple of my plants.. Please help me as soon as possible for doing away with them the natural way, since I too your advice and passed up on the easy but unhealthy way.. Thankyou Dori Mike..:-)