Preventive Control

Natural enemies

Predators

1. Predatory mite
2. Spider

Management and cultural practices

1. Remove grassy weeds surrounding your rice fields. The weeds serve as the pests' alternate hosts.
2. Plant resistant varieties. In this case, ask for assistance from your local agriculturist for there are several gall midge biotypes.
3. Delay the wet season planting of photoperiod sensitive variety to reduce the length of the vegetative period before a gall midge transfers from its alternate hosts. Rice gall midge is difficult to control with insecticides.
4. Split the nitrogen application 3 times; during the seedling, vegetative, and reproductive growth stages.
5. Plow-under the ratoons of the previous crop to expose the pests to sunlight and predators. The larvae and pupae might still be in the ratoons.