Hi Dawna, Thanks for the kind words. I just wanted to put together a little info sheet for everyone because the pests are so bad this year, and everyone has had a lot of questions. It sure has been raining a lot up your way. I hope all is well there. At least we aren't having to worry about wildfires or a hay shortage this year. Flooding, however, may be this summer's big issue. Dawn

joannaqcw, till, lo-till or no-till, is a single operation in a program. Traditionally, tillage has been used to aerate the soil, bury weeds and/or weed seeds, expose insects to predators and to incorporate previously applied products like limestone, organic mulches and 'green manures'. There are some other effects but I tend to forget. When a decision is made to alter or eliminate tillage from a cropping program, one has to consider the consequences in other parts of the program. Insect-pests control is a very good example. There are ways to predict and prepare for such. Regular sampling (soap flushes, traps and random 'swiping') can forewarn of a forthcoming attack. One has to implement a sub-program, if you will. One thing leads to another. What control measures to use? Growing some plants which attract birds might be a neat way to control caterpillars. Be prepared to lose some produce! I once tried this using the yard-bean (Vigna spp.) as an attractant. I reaped precious few beans from the four vines (the birds ate the flowers) but the kitchen garden was particularly free of caterpillars. Then the birds attracted the neighborhood cats and the resultant bird casualties stressed out my seven-year old daughter. I guess that my final comment is, be prepared for some unexpected consequences!

Skip the urine on the roses, but if you still have to go, make a run out to the compose bins and go there. Then go get some insecticidal soap and spray your roses regularly, unless you have lady beetles. Other wise, the IS should solve your problem. Most of the other things you suggest will serve to bolster your roses own defenses, the neem will help to ward off bugs. The IS will kill the ones that eat the rose leaves. Cheryl

Unless you can find directions for applying as a drench somewhere on that label, you can't use it in that manner. This formulation contains three very agressive active ingredients....you should look up each one to see how they work. It's different than other imidacloprid formulations. The primary issue with this product is that you are clearly and specifically warned against using it when your plant is flowering. Not just when bees are foraging but when your plants are flowering! The label cautionary statements also clearly warn about avoiding run-off and any contact with surface waters. I used to teach landscape and horticultural professionals to properly use pesticides. The first step is to carefully read the label to evaluate whether or not the product is suitable for the required use. This chemical doesn't pass, does it? It's not our job to try to find ways to go off label and then justify it but to use good, common sense and information gathering to come up with safe, effective, and appropriate methods of control.