I live in an area with a lot of humidity and a fair amount of termites. I had a beautiful hibiscus tree that was not too far from my house, and it used to bloom all year long. About 6 months ago I noticed that the tree looked like it was sick, and it didn't bloom as often. Then I noticed on the trunk of the tree, it looked like a fine sawdust powder and holes started to appear in the trunk. Eventually, the entire tree died. Does anybody think that termites could be responsible for this? Has anyone had any experience with a tree dying like this? I'd sure appreciate your help.

We are seeing a drastic decline in the bee population. I have seen this on the news and have read pieces about it online. And the question that this brings to my mind is, which fruit trees do not require the high amount of bee activity that we have been able to get in years past?

I have had scale insects on houseplants, which I have taken care of with just some soapy water. But I'm wondering, what plants that I can put in outside, are naturally affected by these same scale insect species? If I can avoid certain types of highly affected varieties it can dramatically reduce the amount of time I will spend worrying and treating scale insect problems.

What types of plants attract butterflies? We have feeders for birds, flowers that seem to attract pollenating bees and of course feeders for humingbirds. But we seem to be having trouble attracting butterflies? And what time of year is the best to see the little guys? Thanks

Like many people, I have hostas all around my yard. They are hardy and make a nice green addition to my border beds that are usually full of dark colored bark mulch. I do have one little slimy problem though. It seems that every slug within a ten mile radius has decided to take up residence in my hostas. How on earth do I keep these slimy little buggers off my plants without dousing them with some nasty chemical?

My backyard is beautiful. I have all of my favorite seating options ready. I have a great garden, plenty of gorgeous plantings and trees. I even have some great patio areas complete with teak furniture. The problem is, I'm not attracting the wildlife I would have hoped for. I love squirrels as much as the next lady, but I was hoping for blue birds. I have put up some feeders and I have a bird house, now all I need to do is invite some residents. How do I do that?

What ways do you find are best to deal with aphids?

I have tried spraying them with a tight stream of water from a sprayer. This knocks many of them off, but still leaves a little food for the ladybugs. Usually after a day or so, I will see ladybugs come in. If they stay awhile due to the good buffet, they may lay eggs, and then the aphids will be gone in a couple of days.

If the ladybugs don't arrive right away, I use the sprayer about every other day, till the ladybug cavalry arrives.