Good for you for not using poisons! Yesterday I was contemplating a rosebush whose buds were covered with aphids, when I started counting the ladybugs on it. I stopped when I got to a dozen! Also, yesterday those tiny aphid eating birds showed up in our neighborhood. They come every Spring when the aphids are at their height. They are the shape of sparrows, but the size of hummingbirds. Grey, with a lighter tummy. They arrive in huge flocks - hundreds & hundreds of birds. I have their name somewhere but can't remember it right now. I can tell they are here because their call is a really high squeeky peep -- I hear that, and look around, and sure enough, there is a tree full of them. They descend on my rose bushes all at once and eat the aphids. It is a wonder to see. So, keep up the "mechanical" aphid removal if you need to so something (I have discovered that you can flick off most of them from a bud by flicking it with your finger, but you have to be careful not to hit it too hard... Jackie

Thanx for all the replies The plants are preety small yet so I did notice a-lot of damage on Baseys the aphids got about half the foliage eaten. Ill go with the soapy water mixture also just curious why would merit bring spider mites? If so any solution for mites I only used Avid with stirrup M for an attractant on the teas. Also I noticed some Black Spot on the Basey as well would neem oil be ok I used Compass and Banner Max on the teas all of which I still have on hand. Also how much growth should I expect to see out of these roses this growing season? I was told not to fertilize Darlows or it will take over Chicago. I spaced the darlows 10 feet apart the others about 7 feet hope I gave them enough room.

I've grown Burpee SS for several years now but this year I think they screwed up on the seed. These plants are short and stocky, almost a determinant-like growth compared to past years and the tomatoes look different and smaller. I've noticed too that these "SS" are loaded down with white flies probably due to the way too dense foliage (and I suckered these too, no WFs on other varieties in garden). I did buy these seeds at Walmart which may not have the best of Burpee as the packaging looked different from normal, maybe from China? Ha. None ripe yet so we'll see...

Fleas can survive soap and water?! I read that they drown in plain water. I already know I wasted my time washng everything. I guess they did live through it. I read about a trick to use where you take a candle and put it in a water dish. The fleas jump toward the heat and CO2 but land in the water and drown. I'm so deparate I was even going to try that, even though it sounded bizaar. What I don't understand either is that it seems to be the basment that is the worst. It is just a cement basement. No rec room, no carpeting, no curtains. I just was down there again for about one minute to spray again (again!) and when I came up the stairs my ankles and feet and calves were COVERED WITH THEM. It reminded me of that old commercial for Off Incect Repellant where the guy sticks his arm into a glass box filled with mosquitos and they all land on his arm. The worst thing about these fleas is that when you slap them, unlike mosquitos, they just spring right up and can't be crushed. I went into my little tool room in the basement, where I rarely go, and there was so much flea dirt that it looked like coffee grounds were scattered all over the table. I had to SWEEP flea dirt out of one of my closets in the guest room there was so much. Things stored in the basement are covered with flea dirt. All my stored canned goods and extra stuff stored under the basement stairs is covered with black specks. HOW????? I know it it flea dirt because when I try wipeing it with a paper towel the specks turn red. How could this have gotten this bad so fast like they just exploded all over. I hope that I don't have the fleas down there because of critters. :shudder: Critters are just about impossible to get rid of once they get in. There are a lot of skunks in the area, I just had one on my back steps a couple of weeks ago. I had to stand in my driveway until it decided to leave. I was hoping it wasn't going to go to sleep there for the night. Front door was locked. Possums too. Lots of rabbits and squirals My garage is overridden with field mice even though I have glue traps, snap traps and poison all set out. Nothing works on those critters. If they got in the house I don't know what I would do. I have to deal with the death of my dear cat Max. My anger at Hartz. And now this flea nightmare that is getting worse and worse. If I find a nest of critters I am going to go insane.