ALREADY?! Your post made me to run outside and check my plants. I sure have lace like leaves because of slugs. Also had to say "hello" to a couple of new born alphids- they were not here yesterday. Are you sure you have midge already? It is way too cold for it . I probably will get nailed for my advice, but midge is too nasty! Anyway, Bayer Advanced Complete Insect Killer may help a little bit .It is the only product currently on the market labeled for rose midge control. Do not spray the roses just do the soil application, around the roses. Also cut off and destroy all suspicious grow. Repeat Bayer application a few times in 5-7 day cycles. Good luck!

Put down the grub killer again right now. Spread it well everywhere not just directly under the roses and water moderately. You will get a delayed flush on all those damaged bushes and more midge in this first wave but you should stop it. I can only surmise that you didn't put it down thoroughly the first time.

Midge seem to be here too. I think those four days over 90 the last week of April gave them a kick start.

Yep, that will do it Harry. Sorry to hear it. I'm hoping for not much damage since I won't get anything done until Memorial Day weekend.

A few of my bushes have some burnt looking damage from where the stem shoot is coming from the cane, I have many buds though and really healthy looking shoots coming out all over in every bush I have. Could this be midge? Here are some pics.

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Yes ramblinrosez7b, looks like midge damage to me. We haven't been able to get rid of them, but we still manage to have a decent bloom from most of our bushes.

The stuff in the picture is not midge.

Ramblin', I think that might be the remains of a growth bud that was frozen weeks ago. Latent buds come in threes. The two side buds have sprouted and made shoots.

Thanks so much everyone, I read zack lau's response and quick rushed out to Lowes to get some Bayer products, got three different kind, BA (Bayer Advance) grub killer, BA rose and Insect disease concentrate, and the BA Insect killer spray which the last two do say that they kill rose midges. I am glad to hear I don't have midge though, But I am well equipped for any insect that dares to show its ugly mug near my roses. Thanks zack, you put a fire under me to go and purchase this stuff which I know at one time or another I will need them, for I believe from one year to the next we have to deal with something, it goes along with growing roses, right? One of my neighbors asked me, "Why don't you grow something that is not so much trouble"? My response was, "But I do".

Ramblinrosez, Nothing I said was intended to get you to buy any 'killer spray'. On the contrary, I believe most here do not believe in spraying insecticide. Of course spraying will kill the midge fly but it is a totally ineffective way to control midge. You need to put down grub control granules on the beds to kill the larvae in the soil. Please read some of the past discussions about natural means to control insect pests. Spraying does much more harm than good. You don't want to kill all the honey bees and other beneficial insects. Henry

Ramblinrosez, I agree with other posters. I don't think you have midge. It is probably a frost damage.Maria

Henry, actually in my rose bed I have garden fabric down over the whole bed and red cedar mulch over that. Could midge larvae live in the mulch?

Thanks so much Maria.

Maria, I don't know about the fabric but I'm a heavy mulcher and I have had no midge for a long time. I've often suspected raking up the mulch on to the raised beds and adding an inch or two more each year probably helps disrupt the midge life cycle. This year because of my broken ankle I had to have it done for me. They put down an Ortho lawn grub killer which says one application lasts a whole season and then it was mulched over. Cause and effect? I don't know but so far no midge and I don't expect to see any. BTW, many people I used to know in rose societies and garden clubs never saw midge. You may never see it. I grew roses for about 15 years before I saw it for the first time. Henry

Can you guys give me the name of a good grub killer?

I've used Bayer Advanced Complete Insect Killer for Soil & Turf granules to control midge and Japanese beetles--I get some down just before the weather warms up.

Rose midge is a recent problem--perhaps because the most effective treatment, Diazinon, was taken off the Market in 2004. It can be still be used by consumers, but it is deadly to any birds who mistake the granules for food.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dual action grub killer

Well forget that..I love my birds in the garden