Mind the imidacloprid if it gets into flowering plants it's very hard
on pollinators because it also gets into the nectar.

I didn't think that Merit had any effect on flying insects via
ingestion of plant nectar and that it was specific to insects in the
larval stage.

A simple solution would be to contain your application of Merit to the
turf part of your yard only and avoid any excessive over spreading.
Merit does leach or spread very far horizontally. "Good" pollinators
don't visit turf grass for anything edible.

-al sung
Hopkinton, MA
Zone 6a