Ok, please do not try this without checking it out first. Here is my story. I had this problem more then once. The first time I got these crawly threadlike things in my soil (ie. Last summer), I ended up throwing out my Thanksgiving Cactus. So last November, I purchased a few more Thanksgiving Cactus from the supermarket. I noticed those pesky tiny fruit flies/knats flying around my plants. ( they usually lay their eggs in the soil ) Well that was it! I mixed a combo of rubbing alcohol and water and sprayed the surface of the dirt on my newly purchased plants really well. I have knat/fruit fly traps all over...ie.. Near each plant. For the first time since the Fall, I recently saw the first little bugger and put out my traps. I may do my alcohol/ water spray again. But this is risky. It did not kill my plants, but it can kill them if you overdo this. Proceed at your own risk. Best to try to control this problem. I do not think you can completely avoid it if you have live plants in the home. They LOVE organic soil and there may be unhatched eggs in the organic soil you buy at the garden center to transplant your thanksgiving cactus into a new pot in the Spring. So far I have NOT transplanted anything. Nor have I fertilized anything. These tiny fruit flies/knats come in through screens or with your groceries/fruit that you buy at your local supermarket. They can even come up out of the drain in your sink! I have added photos of these traps. They work well so far for me. You can purchase them at Home Depot or True Value Hardware.

All those plants along the back look to me as if they aren't getting enough sunlight - except that one privet that has yellow leaves on the side opposite the house. The weigela and privet are dig-able IMO. Get some twine and tie up all the stems into a tight bundle, get a flat-edged spade, sharpen the blade and dig about a 3 foot diameter root ball on the weigela and a 2 foot one on the privet. To lessen the shock, do the digging after the plants drop their leaves. Then next spring after the weigela has bloomed, trim as recommended above. The privet can be cut back to the ground - and I do mean the ground - and it will regrow nicely. We did this to a line of privet out at Cox Arboretum - I see you're in the Dayton area - early last spring and they look great now. Or it can be trimmed as you so desire to maintain a shape or structure you like. The magnolia in front will get a lot bigger and is too close to the house. But that one would be a tough one to dig as the root ball should be rather large. Selective pruning on the backside might help for a while, but not in the long run. That one might be worth having a pro landscaper come in and move for you. As for the utility connections, it looks like you're in a recently developed plat that probably has underground cabling. Usually these come in the house from the street area, but not always. There should be some indications on the exterior of the house such as junction boxes, meters, etc that might give you a clue. Another concern would be the cabling and tubing of the AC unit. You need to know where they run before digging in that area. It may be obvious up close and personal, but not from my angle. Cable TV service lines are notorious for being where you think they wouldn't be and they generally aren't very deeply buried - so the advice above about call before you dig is a good start - then remember where they all are - might even do a property sketch for safe keeping. Good Luck Marshall in Centerville

Hiya goddess - I'm right where you are, having just received my first set of cuttings from Joni also. After way too much fussing (I hope they forgive me), I've rooted four of them directly in clear solo cups in Fafard cactus/succulent mix with rooting hormone in a bright window out of direct sun. They get misted and are in ziplocs. The other two (sipitangensis and publicalyx "Black Dragon") are in a mini-greenhouse outside on a covered porch (where an existing hoya has been extremely happy). Those two are rooting horizontally with the Fafard mix and I mist the soil once a day. I did poke a hole in the bottom of the solo cups for drainage, and I watered the soil in those and let it drain before I put the cuttings in. I'm assuming I wouldn't want to actually water again unless the soil was really dry, especially as long as I'm misting (can the community confirm this?). The reason I'm horizontally rooting two of them is that those came with little roots already sticking out all along the cuttings, and with several sets of leaves. I'm going partly on instinct and partly on advice from this community (thank you!). I'll be curious to see how our new babies turn out!

Paula sweetie, your link really busted my allowance wide open. Only a few pennies left of it. That link has some serious miniature garden toys. Among other things I ordered the bistro table and chair set in white....now I must paint OUR REAL set white or offwhite. And I got the chicken coop with chickens...don't you know my DH mentioned building such a coop and getting about 3 little egglayers tonight? It was meant to be! Then the garden bench and chair and the arbor and the wagon like the one I have really, and the martin house and the bee skep (for Quilting Bee Hosta) The watering can and the garden tools and the galvanized tub ..... it is hard to stop once you get started. I can see these adding a lot of eye level appeal to otherwise plain plantings of multiple hosta or fern etc in bowls or tubs. This kicks it up a notch from simple pot feet! Is there a contest for Miniature Gardens? I am enchanted by the bistro table with the gazebo or arbor. Jo, you can make one as beautiful as that 200+ $$dollar one. Very exciting to think of a couple of the tubs set up. However, I know this is not my main passion. It is a great diversion adding variety to the garden experience.