Originally Posted by rodekyll
If you're sure there's not little critters hiding on those chewed leaves, you have to assume it's the little files. You might want to pick one and look it completely over with a strong lens just to be sure there's not crawly little mites or something there. Tiny black flies seem to be common in indoor gardens, but I've never heard of the ones I'm thinking about actually bothering anything.
Without knowing what they are it might be hard to kill them off, and during bud especially, you don't want to dose the plants with insecticide. You'll be smoking it soon. . . I'm an advocate of flypaper as a passive "control" (not eradication) technique. It's cheap, environmentally friendly, and works pretty good even when you're not there. The strips in my grow area are fuzzy with all kinds of little bugs. There's another kind of flypaper that essentially sits in front of a nite lite. It works best at night and also seems to attract a crapload of little bugs. I'm not sure it's suitable for a grow room though.
Are you spraying the plants with water or nutes? Is there dripping condensation ever? Those things can contribute to burning holes through the plants, although the telltale there is often brown spotting.
If your mom is being cool about you growing at all, you're right -- stick with the halogen bulb. Don't push her good will by asking for more $$. But if you could somehow come up with a more efficient light source (read discussions) everyone (esp the plants) would come out ahead.
Good luck!