Thank-you for your advice (and quick reply!) Elaine. Yep, I think the best thing to do is maybe bring my baby home and stick it in the shower. Right now, it is very cold here - upper teens, low 20's for highs - so I can't put the plant outside, but agree that a thorough spraying with plain water is needed as the 'soot' is now all around the rim of the planter. I'm surprised that these are ladybug larva; guess I've never really seen them in this stage, but I searched Google for pics and they match up 'spot on.' I'll also try the diy dish soap mixture and then DE if the problems persist. This is an experiment for me more than anything, but I'd love to keep 'biscy' going until warmer weather arrives, which is some months off at this point. I really love this flowering plant and so do the hummingbirds I had this past summer. Thanks again for your help!!
