Don't feel bad Trant.
I'm not having much luck this year either. I've had a lot of problems with the leaf hoppers this year and to top it off these little green caterpillars distroyed my two beautiful Azalea bushes this year. The bushes were literally moving there were so many of them . I spent all day picking them off and drowning them in a bucket of water. I have no clue why but the bugs are taking over my yard this year!

oh sorry bout the azaleas.. I had a bunch of rhododendron I planted last year which got severely attacked by all sorts of caterpillars and weevils. this year I'm taking an aggressive stance and checking them daily- been killing a good number of some soft green caterpillars trying to feed on new leaf growth. I'm defending their vulnerable new growths with everythign I got!

My experience with the Hudson Valley is that it alternates between The Year of the Mosquito and The Year of the Fly. Since I replaced my shredded bark mulch around my hostas with pine needles, I haven't had a slug problem . . . yet.

What I'm noticing an increase in lately is those tiny No-See-Um bugs that fly up your nose and into your mouth. Yuck.

Right now I'm enjoying that, unlike last year, it isn't raining every day and we finally have what we can call a spring season.

I've heard slugs don't like travelling over rough textures. A gardening show recommended mulch made from nut hulls. Haven't seen any in the area, but then, I wasn't really looking.