"If you think it's cute, then why kill it? Trap it and let it go somewhere else" Kind of depends on just where "somewhere else" IS, doesn't it. Because if it's near my house I will shoot it as soon as it starts eating MY garden. Cute can only get you a short distance. Just Google "rabbits overrun island" for a very quick look at the dammage a rabbit population explosion do. And then think about the current explosion of Canada geese, starlings, woodchucks, white tail deer, chipmunks, feral cats, rats, mice, voles, gypsy moths, and on, and on, and on. I hate to point it out again, but our requirements have kind of messed up the balance of nature.

Greenthumbz--Bleach instead of vinegar or ammonia partially because it was at hand, since I keep it around to sterilize tools between diggings. Vinegar and ammonia are okay for spritzing on slugs, but these plants were getting a total emersion bath for an hour, and I didn't want them either pickled or burned. Bleach will also kill off most if not all of the eggs. On using the DE, here is part of an email I sent to someone earlier this week who had a terrible slug infestation. Okay, now to solve your slug problem quickly, cheaply, and organically, three things I strive for in my garden at all times. Go to your local feed store (as in horse and cattle feed) or your local pool supply store, and ask for a large bag of diatomaceous earth. You want the pure stuff, NOT the kind with any added chemicals, or the pelleted kind, just the straight, unadulterated, powdered diatomaceous earth. This is composed of the microscopic skeletal remains of tiny sea creatures, and viewed under a microscope it is very spiky and sharp. Without a microscope, it looks like talcum powder. If a slug touches it, the tiny particles work into its body and kill it. But itÂs harmless to pets, birds, and most other wildlife. It will kill fleas and sowbugs, too, by blocking their breathing apparatus, so it may also do in some of the smaller insects, but mostly itÂs just fatal for slugs. In my garden earthworms are not bothered by DE. Now find yourself one of those parmesan cheese shakers that you see at the local pizza place, or a fine sieve with a handle, or even an empty talcum powder container and fill it with the DE. Shake it around the base of every plant, very close to the base and make a ring around the plant 2 or three inches wide. For plants that are already infested with the slimy critters, shake some right down into the crown of the plant. Then if you are feeling really ambitious, you can also put a line a couple of inches wide around the perimeter of each bed to prevent any more slugs from crawling in. You will want to pull any mulch back from the base of the hostas before applying the DE. I did this in some of my beds 20+ years ago, and still donÂt have any sort of a major slug problem, and I live in the country and have 12 acres of totally naturalized landÂslug heaven. I havenÂt gotten around to doing the newer beds yet, but by now my toad population is such that they deal effectively with most of the slugs. Rain will wash the DE into the soil, and partially off the plants, but there is still enough residue to keep the slugs away, even though it's not readily visible. If you have a really severe problem, you might want to spread the DE around a second time in about a month, then just use it on individual plants that might still have passengers. Feed stores carry DE because itÂs an effective and safe way to deworm sheep, cattle, dogs, horses, and alpacas. Pool supply stores carry it because itÂs used in pool filters. The feed stores are more likely to have or be able to get the pure product, whereas pool supply stores usually stock the stuff with extra chemicals that you donÂt want on your hostas. Both places should be able to easily order a 40 or 50 pound bag for you, and although itÂs probably gone up in price since I last bought it, that size used to be about $10. Hope that helps. It's been almost two weeks now, and the new hostas don't have any new slug damage, so the bleach soak did the trick.

As I lay here in bed reading this, I have a large pad on 2 sheets of paper towels folded long ways two line that pad, 2 depends pull-ups on, a disposable Chuck, a fabric Chuck and a towel underneath all of that. I along with many other women that I've read about on this thread have suffered these 'monster' periods for a very long time, well actually to the tune of 25 years. I have left my stamp (flooding Period gushing pools) at work at home, at the child Gymboree class, on Greyhound buses, on every form of Transport known to man. I have always had to have the heaviest flow pack of pads I can find along with Depends pull ups and tampons and black pants at several strategic locations during my day. One kit in my car, one at my job and always in the house. I could identify with the frustration and I was happy that some people mentioned the mental anguish and the feelings of being just out of it. Feeling isolated and unsociable. Over the last 25 years I have adapted to living with the memory loss, fog and just kind of drifted through my day on auto during these episodes. I was not financially position to be able to stay home during the illness, and on one occasion I remember coming up off the subway train and bent over on the street screaming in pain. But this was New York so everyone passed by and ignored me, indifferent to what they were seeing. At that time a taxi driver saw me and had pity on me. He insisted that he take me home. but I was adamant because I didn't want to lose my job; so I told him to take me to work. By the time I got to work they had to call an ambulance and rush me to the hospital. I was dehydrated and anemic due to the blood loss. it was the first of many occasions like that, and I would frequent the ER bleeding heavily and dizzy over the following years. 10 years ago I had three fibroids removed of which one was the size of a grapefruit. The monster periods lightened up for maybe a year or two but then it came right back with a vengeance and was like Clockwork every 3 weeks as per usual. Heavy and uncontrollable with massive clotting. I was too afraid to have the hysterectomy because of people's horror stories including my own mothers; and the fact that it apparently brings on menopause, along with all the syndromes almost immediately. My little sister had gone through menopause at age 43, so I figured I'd wait it out thinking I can't be that far behind. I am 51 years old, and to my absolute Delight had not experienced a period in the last 7 months; so I thought I was done with it all , thinking that it was all behind me, that the nightmare was over, and got rid of all my stationed 'kits.' Yes it meant I had terrible hot flashes, but those paled when measured up against those monster periods... Which brings me right back to today laying here reading all your heart wrenching stories. At this point I don't know what to do and I really don't want a hysterectomy after suffering so much with the fibroid removal. moreover I don't have the luxury or option of taking time off of work. I guess I will make the appointment with the gynecologist and see what options are out there two decades on. I'm hoping for a miracle. Again I want to thank all you ladies for being so candid and sharing your stories. It has been really helpful to me and, I'm sure, to many other women going through this nightmare. I wish you all success with your various treatment options. I will definitely come back and update you on what treatment the gynecologist recommend.

I didn't either I Mark that to keep me signed in. Karen. I'm glad that help. I like to keep my topics and go from there so it's interesting that if you're in gardenweb it keeps them all in gardenweb but if you're in whose it accesses everything from who's. The only issue is when I'm notified by email of a post that I made in whose. Then I still can't post to it. I made some on the gardenweb as an experiment so I will report back if I can post to those. I don't know if you guys get email notifications of comments but I do. So when I click on the comment on my email it takes me directly to the end of the thread to the newest comment.