I use to fight mine but it never really got rid of them. For the last 10 years I've left it up to nature to handle. Some years there's hardly any damage. Some years there is more. But I must admit there is never a spectacular spring flush. After that some insect must be helping out. Instead of the damage getting worse it lessons.

The year of the worst infestation there was hardly a bloom all year. I think that was the only year I ever cried over the garden.

Thanks Patty. I wonder if I will ever be rid of them. I have found something that helped but i did not have the heart to use it so much that it would kill the beneficial insects. Last year I got some Green Light with Safari chemical granules based on a rose society recommendation to use for rose midges. I only applied this chemical in the spring of last year and just left the roses to fend for themselves the rest of the season. I had a very good spring flush but I noticed some damages later in the year from midges. That led me to believe that I did not get them all with just one application of this chemical.

One thing I thought about trying this year is landscape fabric. I would have to purchase a zillion pins to hold down the fabric down. It keeps the larvae from reaching the soil. The ones that fall from the center of the bush can't be stopped thou. Wish I knew if it would make a big difference or not.

One thing I've noticed in all these years they don't like drought. If you enter a dry period pull back your mulch and let them bake.

Last year was the first year I used the Bayer Complete Insect Killer granules. I spread them closely around the rose bushes, about a foot out of each bush. The product is systemic, so is absorbed by the plant. I didn't get the granules down in early spring, so had to do three rounds about a week apart to catch the midge that kept emerging. I would say I had about 90% or better effect. I noticed a few canes with the damage, but nowhere near the 100% failure I used to get and that made me give up on roses for many years.

Patty I am fascinated by your observation that the rose midge damage is worse early in the summer and seems to lessen as the season progresses. It seems to indicate some beneficial insect catching up with midge. For years I prayed for such an insect. This would be wonderful news for all rose midge battered gardeners. I am a beekeeper, so I am not spraying anything in my yard. Since I stopped spraying my yard 12 years ago I have never seen a big outbreak of aphids any longer. I think I have so many beneficial insects and birds here, the bad guys don't stand much of a chance, with the exception of midge. I carefully monitored my bees and didn't see any detrimental effects. They tend to ignore the roses anyways, too many other wildflowers that are more attractive to them.

In any case, I intend to use a onetime treatment with the granules early this spring and see what effect this has. Hopefully I can wipe out the first generation and be ok for the rest of the year. Karen, if you battle midge in your yard you have my fullest sympathy. They are worse than anything else that affects roses, maybe with the exception of rose rosette disease. I plan on being diligent in my fight against midge. Best of luck to you, and please feel free to ask if you have more questions.

marcindy I quit buy roses for along time also. Did a lot of helpful reading. All I had where roses too attract every bad insect there was. Like you after spending a few years putting in beneficial plants. I have not seen aphids in years. Of course I also had to quit spraying. In my opinion rose midge is worse than rose rosette. I can save a rose from rrd if I'm observant enough. A rose without flowers is just plain sad.

I do have one more thought on rose midge. Just not sure which condition causes what to happen. I used to get at least some spider mites on the roses. In those years there was almost no rose midge damage. After putting in many daylilies, I no longer have spider mites on the roses ever. But rose midge started to make a big appearance again. However roes midge does not like drought and spider mites do. So is it the drought that knocks them down or an insect thats more active in drought or both. Wish I knew. Last year I did remove many daylilies. Splitting some bee friendly plants to spread around instead.

I can't use the Bayer granular in spring because thats when the lady bugs and new born praying mantis are munching down on the ground.

Patty, those are great observations about midge and spider mites. I have a lot of daylilies, and I mean a lot! I guess they were my goto consolation plant when I removed the roses. Funny thing is I have never seen spider mites on my roses either. Always thought it's because our climate was too moist to let them thrive. Now I wonder if I inadvertently did the right thing by splurging on daylilies..lol I think I will stick with that story line.

I understand about lady bugs and praying mantis, though I do see many of those. I think they survive in my large bed of native prairie plants until it's safe again to venture back into the roses.

I'm sorry I have hijacked this thread, I hope this info is still useful to the OP.

No problem! I am also into daylilies so I am open to any discussion about roses and daylilies. I also used the Bayer's formula but I found that the Safari appeared to be more effective in killing off midges. But unfortunately, I will have to do repeated applications of it if I want to be rid of these rose pests once and for all. Last year, I applied a 1/4 -1/2 cup of these granules to each rose bush in the spring. The midge damages reappeared in late fall but only to the most susceptible roses.

Three daylily people, yay. Heres how over the top I went.

There where still roses just could not really notice them until daylily season died down. Kind of went from one extreme to another. Its better now thou I kept the best and healthiest of the daylilies and perennials. Still have a beneficials garden and thats getting better. Then added more roses now that there are so many no spray varieties.

Last year damage was confined to The Fairy, which is in a tough area in the back of the garden with only part sun and competition from tree roots and a giant bush of Vanity only 5 feet away. I applied one light application of Bayer granules and maybe sprayed with Isotox and that was it. This year there is mite damage everywhere; have lost the entire first flush on Golden Celebration and many others have only 20-30% surviving buds. This is very discouraging combined with the loss of many bushes to voles and the usual battles with BS, even on my normally resistant roses like Belinda's Dream and Prairie Harvest.

Long story short, I bought the Bayer granules but am reluctant to use them. Now is definitely the time as the weather is warm and settled (perfect midge weather).

So I'm going to sleep on it. I hate to nuke all those emerging good guys. I can always hope that later in the year I'll have plenty of bloom.

Please don't laugh. LAST year I put a tablespoon of the Bayer granules in a Ziplok bag and then snipped off all the affected growth. Knowing the midge are very small I thought I had to make sure that I was really getting rid of them. I might as well have danced in a circle and chanted, I know!

I am so sorry to hear of your battle with the bugs. Seems like it is an endless battle, sometimes. I am sure we are going to get it bad this year too as the winter was too mild to kill any bugs up here. Hopefully the midges are gone from your garden, Barbara and by some miracle the spider mites will diminish too so that you will get nice flushes throughout the year.

Wow, Patty! For some reason I missed your last post. I didn't know that you are also so much into daylilies. I too am a daylilies fan, maybe an addict is more like it. Your daylilies are beautiful! Can you tell me what is the name of the pink eye daylily with very green throat on the lower right part of your pic?

Karen, I love that daylily I'll look up the name when I get in tonight. The name is the tip of my tongue Old age prevents prevents it from going any further. It's not a really expensive one and after the first year it blooms all season. It does have a very nice green eye.

It finally popped off the tip of my tongue. Its Cat Dancer and a very good daylily. Give it a year to settled in for good color.

Thanks Patty, I will look it up!

Thank you so much for sharing mudpie7. It is so awesome that you found something natural that is effective against midges and mites. Do you know if Only Natural Pet Herbal Defense Spray is still available?? What is your recipe for this spray?

Cornell insecticidal soap recipes vary slightly on different websites. If memory serves me, mine had the base recipe of 1/2 teaspoon Dr Bronners liquid baby soap and 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda . Can't remember if I used a tiny bit of apple cider vinegar about 1/4 teaspoon, and about 5 pumps of the dog spray in 24 ounces of water shaken in a spray bottle.
My friend gave me the dog spray 4 years ago, I dont know where she bought it . Ingredients are Neem oil, Lemongrass, Catnip, Citronella, "and other essential oils" it did not list.
After sitting on the counter 3 days the spray bottle smelled so strong I threw the rest away before it blew up.
All of this was experimental, i had nothing to lose since all of my blooms were decimated. You might want to test a recipe on a small area before blasting your prize rose.
Super Supplements might have a good substitute for the Dog spray. My strong advice is don't inhale and dont use it on the dog.

For the last two years I have been using Bayer Complete granules as well as the bottle of liquid that attaches to the end of a hose. It seems to keep the midge problem under control which I'm very thankful for. I've always wondered exactly where these little freaks came from because they just seemed to appear out of nowhere.

I've never had spider mites because the weather here on Staten Island is not dry enough for them. I have of course had them in the house when I have rose cuttings on my window.

I don't like the idea of using an insecticide but there is just no way that I was willing to give up my garden. When I had an aphid problem, I controlled then with ladybugs, but these midges don't seem to have any known enemy.

Except us . This year i am prepared for battle with my dog spray recipe, and i bought a pump bottle of Bonide Rose RX, an organic product that says it also works on rust, mildew and blackspot. Just used it this morning for the first time so will see how it does.

Marcindy, what exactly were the Bayer granules you used?

Bayer Advanced Complete Insect Killer for Soil and Turf Granules?

It's called "BAYER ADVANCED 64oz 2-in-1 Systemic Rose and Flower Care Granules"

Thank you. Maybe I can find a way, and now at least I know what to look for.

You're welcome, I purchased mine from Walmart.