For months we have had flies in our home about the size of fruit flies but more boxy looking. Neither fumigation nor large amounts of gunk-digesting gel and bleach down the drain have eradicated them. We have looked in vain for rotting food sources harboring them. Suggestions?
Your description could be a fly that breeds in wet, rotting material such as drain gunk — possibly a drain fly or sewer fly. Check the fly publication on the Home and Garden Information Center website for better identification. More than one application of gunk-digesting gel may be required to clean drains. Bleach and fumigation will not help. You can also try pouring boiling water down drains twice a week and covering infrequently used drains. Some gunk can be manually removed. Beyond that, look for evidence of a water leak or a sewer line problem. A dead animal in the wall could breed phorid flies. Pinpoint the source, then eliminate their breeding ground.
I plan to build a cold frame to grow vegetables but am unsure about building materials. Is it safe to use the new version of pressure-treated lumber? How about synthetic wood (i.e. recycled plastic). Other suggestions?
The "new" ACQ lumber, treated with alkaline copper quaternary, does contain copper, but it is minimal. There are no studies that have shown it creates significant risk. If you still have qualms, you can use synthetic wood or untreated wood covered with latex paint to preserve it.
Plant of the week
Yew
Taxus
There is a yew for you — no matter what size or shape you need or amount of sunlight you have — when you want a low-maintenance, hardy evergreen shrub. Yew species and varieties have vastly different growth characteristics, so be sure to check the shrub's tag carefully. They vary from 50 feet tall to dwarf, narrow to wide, upright to weeping. Yews endure rabbits, drought and urban environments but won't tolerate "wet feet" — sitting in sodden soil often or for long periods. Protect from severe winter wind exposure. Yews generally have no serious insect or disease problems. Deer, however, do relish it. The featured cultivar has a yellow cast in spring.
— Ginny Williams