Thanks. so should i add some dry shredded paper?

with a heavy rubber band, a long tinker toy stick and a little practice, you can zap most larger bugs without doing much damage to the leaves. I use monofilament fishing line to force the end of the rubber band into the slot on the end of the stick, then use the same line to wrap around the stick to hold the rubber band secure. You point the end of the stick at the bug, pull back the rubber band and let it go. takes a little practice to know how far away to hold the end of the stick, so just the end of the band hits the bug and not the leaf or stalk it's sitting on. works better for wasps because they usually arent on a plant you care about. You'll probably never get as good as the average frog, however.

1.) Never had any plant deter bugs unless I rubbed it on my person/clothes. 2.) I wouldn't say rue smells great but I don't think rue smells nasty. I think it smells strongly herbal. 3.) Difference of opinion on the skin reactions? Because we aren't all the same. Some react, some don't. I personally have never known anyone to react to rue so I don't suspect it is a common problem. FataMorgana

I have been unable to find a 'stinkhorn' that even remotely looks like my fungus. Furthermore, although stinkhorns attract flies, I haven't found anything that serves as a vegetable growth medium for maggots. The mystery endures, and it is driving me crazy. I have also tried harder to find bones, hair, or teeth that would indicate a dead animal and have found nothing.