The world is filled with small black beetles of all manners and sorts. Can you post a good close-up picture?

ramazz, no it wasn't yours but that one is sure pretty, very unusual. It was a photo by the side of a house with two large patches of PS and some other flower. They weren't exactly like my photo either as to double. Kind of a double decker effect except the top part was the same size as the bottom. That's how I remember it anyway, and often my memory plays tricks on me. If I can find that thread again, I'll link to it, too far back now. token, one person's trash is another's treasure. I know photos can only show us so much, but I find yours rather interesting, not that I'd run right out and grow it. Expecting something different may skew your perception of it, but I'd let it grow another year and see what it is like. I think it's kind of pretty actually, certainly different. Nice assortment of flowers and plants in your photo. But if you have your heart set on a nice cherry brandy, I'd hope to get some seeds from posters who have the prettiest ones or just try something else. But before you shovel prune it, maybe somebody on freecycle would want it or gasp, somebody here might want some seeds from it. Or a plant hybridizer. Look at what you've got, something truly unique even though not to your liking. If it were crossed with other ones, it could lead to some stunning new Rudbeckia. A grower might even be interested in it. I don't know if white has even shown up in Rudbeckias before or not, and the potential for crosses, good bad and ugly are endless.

Well, you could try getting some entomopathogenic nematodes off a site...they'll kill most of the bad critters in your soil, and since they are all natural, you won't have to worry about messing with chemicals or killing off any good bugs (or anything else). There might be other beneficial predators you can introduce around your plant, so that is definitely worth looking into. A chemical option would most likely involve a systemic pesticide, which kills anything that bites into the plant. Some of these can be dangerous if inhaled or if you get it in your eyes or skin, so be careful if you go that route. In the end, I would google "root aphid treatment" and see which options you can take to treat the infestation. Steve

This bug was found on some india mustard that has gone to seed, I debated about just leaving it in the ground (as a place for the bugs to chomp) in hopes of them leaving the rest of my garden alone. Is there anything sound in that logic? Does this actually work or just invite more to come? Then just next door is some corn that is slow in developing with some strange long, narrow bodied brown bug with a smooth surface and no noticeable markings. They are paired up, which can never be a good thing if they are bad bugs (mating). They where very fast and I could not get a photo of them. UGH...here we go again here in LOVELY HOT HUMID GEORGIA, the bug fest is ON....I have to find a way to keep them OFF my plants. It's just so frustrating to spend so much time and effort not to mention money only to find some new freaking bug has eaten everything. thanks for responding!!!