Pest management is complex, if you want to learn, a good place to start is here: Integrated Pest Management This lecture is presented in two parts. Each part is 90-minutes in length. Recorded in Sacramento County in California's Sacramento Valley, this lecture is by Mary Louise Flint, Ph.D., Director, IPM Education and Publications, UC Statewide IPM Project and Extension Entomologist & Cooperative Extension Specialist. Education: B.S. Plant Science, University of California, Davis Ph.D. Entomology, University of California, Berkeley Appointment: 100% Cooperative Extension Research Interests: Integrated pest management of landscape, agricultural and garden pests; biological control of arthropod pests; alternatives to pesticides; adoption of alternative practices by practitioners; innovative delivery of pest management information. Topics discussed in the Integrated Pest Management Lecture: * IPM references and resources * Preventing pest problems * Natural common enemies * Making less toxic pesticide choices * Controlling aphids, scales, caterpillars, coddling moths, tree borers, snails and slugs, and lawn insects. You can watch the programs now online: Just make sure you have Real Player installed or download it free. Integrated Pest Management Part1 90 minutes Integrated Pest Management Part 2 90 minutes You'll want to bookmark the following link to Professor Flint's Lab Research on: Controlling Pests in Gardens and Landscapes: Vegetables and Melons I promise you'll learn one or two things to put in your gardening bag of pest management arsenals. ;)

"In physiology I learned that everyone makes anywhere from 100,000 or so to 400,000 or so cancer cells A DAY." This is a common claim on alt med sites, but I've never seen evidence to back it up. The misunderstanding seems to relate to the fact that cells in the body are constantly wearing out, developing chromosomal defects etc. and are removed by normal body physiologic mechanisms - but these are not "cancer" cells until they start to divide uncontrollably and form a tumor. Your body doesn't need help from herbs to carry out its immune functions, few if any herbs have been found to enhance immunity in human beings, and if they did we'd have to be concerned about nonspecific hyperimmunity leading to autoimmune diseases. http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/cid/documents/webcontent/003042-pdf.pdf "I have known many people who went to doctor after doctor who found nothing until they were so sick they were dying. This is not uncommon, unfortunately." What is the rate of cancer detection by alternative practitioners? What early detection systems do they have to rival (for example) mammography and colonoscopy in the diagnosis of breast and colon cancers?

Rusty is right. JD dumped many small dealers and now you have to drive for parts. They don't follow the successful Walmart program of many little profits making a huge profit. Bad move in my mind. As a part time job, I service, on average, one machine every day of the year. 90% are Sears, or MTD. I really have to do almost no repair on the bodies, mostly routine stuff on the engines. I always loved my Wheelhorse 312A, non-Toro, but when I bought a used JD316, I have to honestly say that JD has it all over my Wheelhorse. Neither one has nickeled and dimed me, but my Eaton hydro pump did fail on the Horse after about 1000 hours. That set me back $800 for the part.

M-A, yes, do keep us updated. That goes for everyone that are fighting these evil little white worms. Here's my update....Last fall I notiiced nematodes on a couple of my Gold Edgers that were planted at my campsite. Since I had 7 Gold Edgers, I dug all of them up. I tossed the 2 that showed signs. The 5 remaining plants I put in a plastic bag and put them in my car to take home and treat. Well, I forgot about them for over 2 weeks. After remembering them I figured that being in a black car kept outside in Aug for that long would be the the same as a heat tx so I just replanted them. Late last fall it looked like only 4 of them were going to survive, but this spring all 5 came up. So far all 5 are thriving with no signs of nems. Also, last fall in my garden at home I found nems on 5-6 plants. I did the heat tx and SO FAR they are OK. BTW, while doing the heat tx the plants just divided themselves so I ended up with quite a few plants to replant. I now have a large hosta hospital. A couple days ago I found nems on 4 of my Lancifolias that I have at the campsite. I pitched them. After reading the article that Janice posted the link to from an entomologist, I ordered what that article recommended, Zerotol. The smallest jug that I could order was 2.5 gal. I spoke to the manufacter and was told to use it at a rate of 1:300. 1/2 oz per 1 gal water every 5-7 days...if no results I can bump it up to 1 oz to 1 gal water, but not to exceed 1 1/4 oz. It's expensive but what the heck, they're my hostas. My plan is this...I don't think I'll ever do the heat tx again. (Too much work & mess) Any new plant with nems will be pitched. I will treat all my hostas with the Zerotol. I also plan to spray them with insecticidal soap. I guess there's no 100% cure except the heat tx, but at least I hope to control them the best way I can. BTW, about my heat treatments...my hotwater tank just happened to be set at 130 degrees so that saved me some time/work. I kept them in the water bath for AT LEAST 15 min, much longer than recommended (I figured I had nothing to lose). I was surpised to see that nearly ALL of them came up this spring! Hosta really are tuff. I just hope that they are nem free. So far no nems, but it's only July. As for the chemicals....Well, I will be careful.