Wow, I wasn't aware they could be poisoned. Hmm, now I have to think about that and how to take advantage...

Steven:

>> I'm guilty of knowing checking the full size and spread and still putting it where I want anyways

Now that I have good sources of advice, I think you put your finger on my biggest Garden Sin. Knowing better but doing it anyway.

Sometimes I have to prove to myself that "what everyone knows" is right, if I "want" to do it my way. Sometimes it takes a few yearss of seeing the "wrong way" not work.

What, me stubburn??!??

Rick - OMG, I just LOVE LOVE LOVE the fwoaggies in your avatar!! OMG that's so friggin CUTE!!

(sorry, OT OT OT)

OMG ..what a good tip..now if we would all
remember that when we go to buy or plant
And I'm like some of the others..I know better,but
have to try anyways

ribbit
ribbit
ribbit - ribbit - ribbit - ribbit

(Translation: thank you!)

dirtpig....For me it's a case of "do as I say, not as I do." I'm always pushing the zone, and planting things in the wrong spot. And then I have the nerve to tell others not to do it!

bubbles!

Wwwhhhaatttt? Doesn't everybody do that?

YES!

Re: poisoning Starlings ... be aware that it may be a legal means of control in one area but not another. And, what's to keep other birds and critters from ingesting the poison? This is a paragraph from the page Skiekitty linked to:

Legal Status

European starlings are not protected by federal law and in most cases not by state law. Laws vary among states, however, so check with state wildlife officials before beginning a control program. In addition, state or local laws may regulate or prohibit certain control techniques such as shooting or the use of toxicants.

Exactly. That's why I wanted people to see the whole of the article, not just that you can arbitrarily kill them. I'm not really a tree hugger and I'm all for population control. I'd be a hypocrite to bitch about starlings being invasive when, in fact, I eradicate native plants all the time so I can grow my alien-to-the-US roses! Plus some of my trees are not native to the US either. But when the starlings start to push out my pretty native birdies, that's when I get mad. But I deal with it by only feeding food that I know that my native birdies like (nyjer/thistle seed).

Oh, can't say I'd poison. We have three really stupid dogs that will eat anything they can (especially the one that loves fire ant bait) so I shy away from anything toxic, including a lot of plants!

Carey... If it's Amdro fire ant bait, I believe it has the odor of bacon as an attractor.

Amdro doesn't work for me, although that's what she ate the first time. We get Spectracide now, but there's still something about it...Turns out they need to pretty much the entire bag before it will affect them (well, for a 60 pound dog, that is). We make her throw up anyway. Of course, that means any time she sees a dropper, she turns tail and runs!

Amdro doesn't have much of a shelf life, particularly when it's hot.

Update: after six years of growing....the cactus is still there, but the century plants became hazardous to driving (and parking) and had to be chopped down.