Sorry but the first rule of pest control is to - first, ID the pest. Not only are pest controls toxic, they are specific to the type of pest in many cases. Any sort of blanket pesticide, if one existed, is going to kill far more beneficial insects than it will detrimental ones. Killing all the beneficial insects in your garden can only guarantee yourself lots more pests and no garden. Each crop/food a a few pests specific to it and it is a simple thing to learn what those are. A Google search using "common pests of _______" (insert name of the vegetable) will give you all you need to know about them plus what is available to control them without harming the good guys. For example, the most common pest of cabbage is cabbage loopers and they are easy to control with Bt dust. Aphids can just be hosed off with a stream of water assuming you aren't inviting them in with excessive Nitrogen fertilizers. As to "brown beetles" - there are hundreds of them some good and some bad, so first you have to learn to know your bugs. Dave

Ladybug larvae eat aphids etc. actually it's usually larvae period that eat these other "bad" bugs. The actual beatles/ladybugs with the shell that fly are not going to consume all that many of them. However, the more of the good insects you have, the more you will have their babies. Bumblebeez lady beetles are probably finding your porch a great place for multiplying. IPM does not work the first year. You'll get eaten the first few years, but less as years go by. I'm suspecting it's not just aphids that are attacking the honeysuckle. Mine bloom constantly and never have a pest. I'm wondering if yours get white fly at first and the honeydew they make is attracting the aphids? I don't always have aphids on the same plants every year, but man, I get white fly on the same stuff every single year. Lacewing larvae will eat the whitefly. It was the lacewings that were hardest to attract to my garden because they succumb to insecticide/pesticide and fertilizer applications so easily. I think the neighborhood didn't have all that many. Having other organic gardeners in your neighborhood really does help attract that balance. GGG

I'm aware that the flys do no damage, just a irritant. I'm also well aware of the over watering problem. But the larva eat organic matter, sometimes the roots of tender seedlings. Damping off is a problem with lots of seedlings but not so much with palms. When I check the dead seedlings, you can see where the tap root has been chewed, the larva are visible with a magnifying glass. I found an article somewhere that said palm seedlings are paticularily vunerable for some reason. We have allowed the soil to dry out to the point of almost death in an effort to control them. I've done my research, there are beneficial mites and nematodes that I've experimented with. For the moment we seem to have it under control. My point was that the purchased soil booster came heavily infested, and then spread to all our other indoor plants. It can happen. We keep the sticky yellow strips about, just to monitor them, I only use soiless mix such as promix or sunshine mix and no longer add anything. I haven't tried ammonia, I'll have to pick some up. I have found on this forum that I'm not alone, especially with the Moso bamboo seedlings.

Finally got my box out today, or should I give my hubby credit as he actually posted it for me today. Things are crazy as my oldest is getting married this Saturday and I volunteered to do a few projects here at home to help out. Why, why, why????? I made cookies for the cookie table and chocolate covered pretzels for the candy table, (a tradition in the area where they are getting married). Then I agreed to make little paper flowers that glue around the top of a toothpick to fancy them up. Again, why, why, why?????? The toothpicks still need to be finished and then a ton of ironing, and then the packing, and then the gardens need to have a little tlc. All before we leave Thursday morning. My husband and I did treat outselves to some dance lessons so we could be prepared. I have never really cared to dance and part of it was we really didn't know what to do on the dance floor. Can't say as we do now but at least we can fake it. Here is the DC for the box 03080660000088961649. Of course, it got hot the past few days and I wish I had gotten it mailed sooner. I am hoping for the best for the plants I sent. I did send extra so the chances would be better. Hope Amy likes it all.