After reading everyone's stories here, I thought my own yellow jacket experience worth sharing. I'd read all the bad things that comes from pouring gas or kerosene into the ground, but after several attacks by our little ground-dwelling monsters, I decided to resort to this particular form of chemical warfare. As the nest I was trying to eradicate was located in a slight depression in the middle of my backyard, it was situated perfectly for "pouring". But then... as a small creek borders my yard, I couldn't help keep away thoughts of benzene-disfigured frogs showing up at my doorstep some rainy night in the future. So... feeling guilty and in desperation, I had a vision... of the hot water heater. I'd heard about the boiling-water-down-the-hole solution, but the stove is a very long way from my backyard. But not the basement door, which is a straight shot of some thirty feet from the nest, and the hot water heater, about ten feet inside the basement door. SO... During a sunny late afternoon, with the little buggers zipping in and out, I carefully made mental note of the nest's entrance. Then, I rigged a ten foot pole (a couple of sturdy branches taped together with too sticky masking tape, the kind you'll never use again but can't throw away), taped the female end of a long garden hose to just inches over the end of the pole, then taped the rest of the hose securely to the pole. Then, I sat on the ground and slooowly crept the pole/hose combo along the grass towards the nestÂs entrance, careful to take many rests along the way, giving time for the little critters to adjust to the newby in the neighborhood. Once the end of the hose was just slightly off center above the hole (so as to not block the all-important flight path), I retreated back into the house to wait until the night. That evening, around nine, I went back to the hole; no guards were in sight, but I didn't lean too far over in case one of them got energetic to attack. I made a mental note of the hose's location, and VERY SLOWLY pulled it away from the hose and away from the depression. I went into the basement, connected the hose to the flush-out valve on the hot water heater, and turned on the water to get the hose heated up for the ultimate event. After a couple of minutes, I shut off the water, and went back to my pole and carefully pushed it back into its original position. I even cheated and used a flashlight to verify that I was in the correct position. And then I turned the water back on and essentially drained the hot water heater until the brass coupling on the hose was only warm. I expected some buzzing at the back door, but nothing happened. I figured I'd failed, but the next afternoon, upon checking out the nest, was amazed to discover that nary a bee buzzed in and out of the ground. Success! Now, if I can only figure out a way to get that masking tape off of the hoseÂ

I am very excited about some new michelias I bought for our newly landscaped yard, and would appreciate advice from you more experienced folk. I bought two champaca trees for our large front entry patio, planted in a strip along an East-facing wall. These will get full sun all morning and until about 1:00 p.m. The patio is enclosed on three sides, so this is a fairly protected spot. I worry that the trees (which are already about 5' - 6' tall) will not respond well to the pruning I intend to do to keep them clear of the eaves (about 8' tall) and to encourage lateral branching for a bushier look. I thought this would be a good location, sunny but with afternoon shade, protected from wind, with the benefit of a delicious scent at the front entry. We JUST planted them today, so if this is a terrible mistake as to location or exposure, I'd love to hear from you (while I can still do something about it). I also bought four rather spindly scruffy Michelia Figo plants, which the dealer gave me for a song because of their condition. I have had good success with all kinds of plants, and hope I can rehabilitate these. I have two possible planting spots for these (I figured I'd keep them together in a shrubby group): along a stone wall on the south side of the house, where they would face north and get direct light pretty much all day as the sun moves along the length of the stone wall from east to west - this is on the hot side of the house, but the wall itself provides some shade. OR along a wooden fence running East to West on the opposite side of the house (the cooler side), where they would also be in full sun most of day, with a couple hours' relief from shade of large liquidambar and large oak. Can I prune either of these plants to encourage bushiness, or would this conflict with the natural habit of the plant? Most of what I read says they are shrubs or trees - then I saw a Champaca in a wholesale tree lot that was HUGE... and I'm worried! Thanks to you all for any advice you care to share.

I discovered what turned out to be a single potted Greek Columnar basil plant in a big tray of Genovese basil at a nursery 3 or 4 years ago. I never had heard of that cultivar at the time, and anyway, it was labeled as Genovese. I bought it just because the leaves did not look like Genovese - a bit more kinky, sort-of - so I assumed it was a sport and I like to give underdogs a chance and see what happens. LOL As it grew and had a markedly different growth habit than Genovese, I did some research on basil cultivars. As fall came on and this plant had become almost a shrub about 3’ tall and yet never had produced even a flower stalk even though I had not been pinching it back, I realized GCBasil was what I had. Since that basil is a perennial that rarely flowers (though I have had some flower for me as the last couple of summers have been long & hot), when it does, those are sterile so it never sets seed. (I am in central OH.) I took a half-dozen or so cuttings from that first plant, and they rooted in a glass of water even easier than holy basil. As an experiment, a couple of winters ago I left one young potted plant (that I'd started from a cutting in late summer) in my SE facing bay window. I wouldn’t say it was the happiest of plants, but it lived and did grow enough for me to use a few leaves now & then. Come warm weather, I put it back outdoors & it adjusted just fine. I have lost count of how many plants since then I have started and shared (and also sold to help fund our Senior Center garden!). Right now, under lights in my basement I have 6 bushy potted plants started from cuttings taken last fall, and recently I struck another 8 from cuttings made from those that were getting so big & bushy! The larger 6 have kept me in fresh basil all winter. :-) CK

I just saw your problem while looking for something else. Two years ago we bought a beauty MCM house in central Florida. It was redone poorly by a 'House Flipper'. The house was inspected by a supposedly well known company. As soon as move in, I could smell an off smell. A new metal roof had been put on over the old shingle roof.... At the time due to a family member dying the option of having the house taken back by seller and getting money back and getting reimbursement from Home Inspection was offered by a local lawyer after he had another company inspect the house. Unfortunately that was just the wrong time to do that- the timing was just too much. The roof had a small leak one week after moving in which the roofer supposedly repaired. About 6 months ago the roof leaked again- around 3 sides of the chimney by the original leak. I had a different roofer come out. He called the county inspection dept who came out and were very disgusted that one of their people had passed the roofing inspection. The original roofer was notified and was extremely mad that the second roofer would have the 'audacity' to call county out. Long story short- the old roof leaked and the 'House Flipper/roofer tried to cover up the old wet roof without removing it and places on new roof not done properly. That old damaged wood from prior wet caused a musky/slightly moldy? smell. County made roofer do repairs correctly. I thank the second roofer who came out and started the ball rolling and did not try to scam me. I know who NOT/DO USE on next house ... Maybe you have wood that was/is wet somewhere??