purpleinopp said: I also feel like if I'm going to put plants outside as part of the 'habitat' in the yard, that attract various critters, I should make an effort to evict/relocate them unharmed.
Good for you for making the effort to be compassionate to other life! I think this is an important ethical principle: No need to harm those who don't present a threat to us.
I personally like to take the approach of doing a total repot when I bring a plant back inside after summering outdoors, so that hopefully whatever was in the soil will stay in the soil outside. However I realize that it is not ideal for the plant's health to do a repot so late in the season. I just am very squeamish about bringing pests indoors, so to me it is worth it to try to do everything I can to minimize that risk.
