I probably will be taking a break from this site and other iris sites for awhile, it is just too painful! Lost most of my irises to iris
borers this year, and I have been digging and dumpstering mountains of destroyed rhizomes. (And gleefully squashing innumerable fat iris borers.) Most of the irises in one large bed are gone, but some planted in outlying areas were overlooked by the destroyers.

Sorry for the borer invasion Sharon.

Sharon ~ I am sorry to see you go as well. You put up a good fight.

Sharon! We'll be here when you return.

Sharon, so sorry to here that. Wish there aas something w cpould have done tl xhange the outcome.

So sorry about the mess with the iris borers. Been there. It wasn't fun. I hope that you find something to save from each of your iris varieties. The only good news that I have to share is that iris are hardy and they will come back if a healthy piece remains...eventually. Good Luck!

I figure they are cheap enough to replace if I get up the energy to do it again some day. Probably would be best to move west though, where they don't have them in the first place!

So sorry to hear that you lost your garden, Sharon.

That must be heartbreaking Sharon. I wish you all the best for your future gardening projects.

sharon, we will be here when you return and be happy to share to replace your losses.

I still have lots of daylilies and hostas to play with! I plan to grow more irises but will have to use merit every spring to do so. I can only hope that all the other flowers and wildflowers grown without chemicals in our yard and farm will dilute the danger to the bees and butterflies.

I think as long as you only use the *Merit on the irises, most of the pollinators will not be affected very much. Especially if you have "other things" blooming at the same time. We "keep bees', so see a lot of them flitting around the flower beds, and, it's a "rare thing" to see one on an iris bloom. I think there are too many other things (fruit tree, and berry blossoms, for example) blooming that have either "more ", or "better" food value . On the "rebloom" irises (late summer / fall), the bees have less "other stuff" , and they WILL be seen on the blossoms, but, again, not in large numbers, and by then, I believe most of the *Merit has "grown out" of the plant.
Pollinator "safety " is an important consideration....whether it's insecticides, fungicides, or even fertilizers and "biologic controls" (such as "BT") is concerned....they need all the help they can get ! I suppose the only, truly "safe" thing is to use "nothing", and, in most areas of the country, if "nothing" is used....you end up, with "nothing" .

Thanks, Arlyn. I am working hard to get my rationalizations in place before spring, LOL!