HabBob, I don't know exactly what our bugs are, but I've got them narrowed down to Leaf Hoppers. I've only seen one at a time, and I haven't seen it do anything other than sit there. We do have many "guard" bugs floating around, hover flies, wasps, spiders, robber flies, etc... so I think nature has reached some type of balance up here, and is keeping the bad bugs to a minimum. We also have the benefit of living within 200 ft of a marsh, which would be insanely buggy if it weren't for all the birds that hang around and eat like kings. We do keep a small amount of seed in a feeder on the window to keep them close. Heh, we even have a natural perimeter of antlions around the house. So, I guess my point is nature is taking care of business for us right now, so, no, I have not seen the activity you have. We're also on opposite corners of the lower 48, so there's gonna be a difference in coloration, behavior, and available predators. I'm in a very rural area up here, lots of nature. If you live in a more suburban/urban area, you might not have a whole lot of bugs to call on to help out. One thing I've been reading is to allow a part of yard/land/lawn to go wild and bring in the good bugs and bug eaters to your property. That might not help you this year, but might be useful in the future? On a side note: I got another ID on #3, "Yes, plant bug, family Miridae, but I think it is probably a species of Necro...Nicro...Narcoleptic (no, wait, that describes me sometimes)...Ah-ha! Neurocolpus!" - E.E. I'm gonna have to do more research and maybe I'll post my leaf hopper to bugguide or feidler's bug site to get a real ID. Both sites are fantastic. - Mark

Annie, look at the picture. You can see the long chain of eggs from which yours hatched on the underside of the same leaf. Pretty cool, huh? That's what you look for. You don't see the damage from these insects right away because they suck plant juices rather than chew holes. Believe me, they can cause problems as they mature. Having an organic garden doesn't mean that there aren't products that you can apply! By ALL means, use your fingers to squish the eggs and those tiny nymphs. That should always be your first recourse, once you've positively identified something as a pest. Insecticidal soaps should be in the arsenal of every organic gardener. A quick spritz directly on that little hoard of plant suckers and they'd be gone. The commercial product is more effective and less likely to do damage to the plant than a dish soap home concoction.

Otis, the springtails(?) I have in my bin are pretty-much pure white. Re the "garbage" from the big stores, I think it's just a liability issue. If they let you have anything and you get sick or something from handling (or eating) then they might somehow be considered responsible. I'm sure he could have found someone who would be happy to take it off his hands. I asked for some stuff from our local grocery chain and I got a similar response. Bet if you tried some of the smaller fruit/veggie stores they would let you have lots. I did some work a few years ago at a pet-food warehouse and they would routinely throw out bags and bags of dry dog-food once it was past it's "best before date". I tried to get the owner to find a dog shelter, farmer, zoo-keeper or someone that he could donate the expired foods to but he refused to change his current methods. Seemed like such a huge waste to me. Heck, even at our house we'll quite often consume something that is past it's b-before date and I'm quite sure that dogs are not too worried. Any animal that will bury a piece of meat and dig it up and eat it weeks later could handle a bit of "expired" dry kibbles. They're a lot tougher than we are IMO. I sometimes feed my bins with quite large portions but I have never seen any potworms. My guess is that it's because of the high-protein foods you put in. Does the addition of crushed or powdered eggshells get rid of the potworms? I often mix some powdered eggshells into my worm-foods before adding to the bins. Harry

he State of Oregon says: Chinavia hilaris Green stink bug Size: 13 – 19 mm Description: One of the largest stink bugs in Oregon. Uniform bright green color, abdomen has distinctive black marks or notches along the outer edge. Antennae dark with light bands. Edges of body may be tinged with yellow. Nymphs are brightly colored with black wingpads and white and green striped abdomens. Very young nymphs have an orange pronotum. Older nymphs have orange patches on the edge of the pronotum, which nymphs of other species in Oregon do not have. Often referred to as Acrosternum hilare in literature. Hosts: Wide range of hosts including English holly, hawthorns, red alder, and Himalayan blackberry. Prefer woody shrubs and trees. Can be a pest on corn, cotton, tree fruits, tobacco, and other crops in some states. Range: Common in the Willamette Valley and elsewhere in Oregon. Can be found in southern Canada, New England, and across the U.S.