Jay, Well, until this week I would have said all "my" hornworms were hanging out in SW Kansas, but then a few more showed up here, so we know that is not true. When we have a bad hornworm year here, I usually start seeing them in March or April and I am not as kind to the very early ones because you know they could strip my seedlings bare before they can grow. I try to catch them very small in the earliest spring and feed them to the chickens. Once the hornworms are 4" long or so, the chickens won't touch them either. And, you're right, no one had better get in my way for the rest of the week. I am so far behind on garden work, and on putting up produce, that I am not putting up with any nonsense from anyone. LOL The break in the weather is rejuvenating both the garden and me. I worked in the garden for 4 hours this morning because the cool temperatures were too lovely to pass up. I didn't see any hornworms or blister beetles today, and only one stinkbug, so that added to my good mood. This afternoon, I'll be trying to work my way through a huge mound of tomatoes and peppers. I'm going to can most of the peppers, and maybe make some jalapeno jelly, and then roast some big tomatoes and boil them down to make sauce, and dehydrate a few hundred smaller ones. If I finish all that today, then tomorrow I'll get the onions into the cellar for long-term storage, dig potatoes, pick several dozen sweet peppers and put them up, and pick black-eyed peas. The melons are coming in at the rate of one or two a day, but we eat them about as fast as I pick them. Your ongoing drought seems like it has really contributed to the insect problem this year. I know we always have more pests in drought years, and they are just relentless. Your coworker who hasn't had a single hornworm will have some soon enough. I don't think I've ever had a year with absolutely none. His turn will come. (Not that I am wishing them upon him or anything!) Dawn

Commonly suggested: After isolating the plant(s) in question try misting the effected plants with Isopropyl Alcohol diluted with water. You may need to repeat this step a couple times . Not sure what site you may have went to for a pest ID adult mealy bugs tend to be white in color. In short ( IMO) no pest can kill a plant that's already dead but they do tend to move along to another area that can provide a more ideal habitat for them. (Killing a plant that is already dead kind of defeats annoying pest and it's intentions/ purpose or goals per say.) Often pest can/do/ will spread from one plant to another in the same area and is reason for isolating ASAP the effected ones away from the rest of those that may or may not have pest. It's often a good idea to monitor all plants on occasion and other conducive pest habitat areas as they tend to favor (and can thrive) in an environment as well.

Additional note: I agree with the warm water bath for the roots. It's easy, safe, and effective. You can use an infrared thermometer from the hardware store to check the water temperature ($20). Soap will help greatly - insecticidal soap is best but just a specific type of normal soap to reduce damage (long chain). Big plus if you use a gritty type mix for easy plant removal. However, I have been VERY skeptical of this microwaving your soil to sanitize it (from elsewhere on the internet). What methods do you all use for this? Seems wasteful to pitch (contaminated) good mix.

I do not know what the bugs are. Plantlets look ok. I wouldn't complicate rooting so much - I don't see advantage of using paper towels; as you found , it could e annoying trying to get the roots detangled (I never heard of this method). I like it as simple as possible. Most of the time, I just lay leaves on surface of pretty gritty mix and they root and grow in it. I transplant them easily when they are big and start interfering with each other. These were transplanted recently since pot was getting too full:Bunch of leaves started in same pot & gritty mix - 2nd photo as they are now; soon to be given individual pots: