Rose midge infestation

Question

My wild beach roses have rose midges. I’m going to remove the plants but I’m wondering how I can treat the soil to get rid of them there so that they won’t be a problem in the future?

Answer 1

You do not need to remove the roses unless you really want to. You can hit things with kind of a double punch to gain control. First spray the rosebushes with a product called Bayer Advanced Complete Insect Killer, you can also spray the ground surface with this spray as well. Then after a couple days, treat the soils around the rosebushes with a product called Bayer Tree & Shrub Granules per the label instructions for Shrubs/ornamentals. This should get at the above ground midges and the below ground hatching problems as well. Another product that is highly recommended is called Merit. Merit can be purchased as granules that are applied to the soils as well as liquid and wetable powder that can be sprayed on the roses and soils. Midges can be very tough customers and will likely require more than a single treatment to get true control of the problem. Here is a link to an article I wrote a while back about midge control for you too:https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/roses/rose-midges.htm