The problem with thrips is that they are very tiny and enter the bud while it first opens. You would have to spray then to prevent the damage. Luckily, the thrips usually don't last long. They will stay for a few weeks, but when it gets hot, they will leave, or the predators get the best of them. It's best to wait it out. I had them very bad in May, but they are now gone and I have clean blooms once again.

Thrips, in my area at least, are always present. I can't remember a time I ever had a completely Thrips free bloom. But a few Thrips here and there aren't a problem. It's when they come in overwhelming numbers that they can do significant damage to the appearance of the bloom. After having a normal amount of Thrips for the last 4-5 years, we were hit with a mass invasion of them this spring and even roses that usually aren't affected were a mess. I ended up cutting off most of my spring blooms and tossing them. Fortunately Thrips are cyclical, so just about the time you are ready to give up on roses, the Thrips population will return to normal without you having to do a thing. Buford is correct about the nearly impossible task of killing them with insecticides. Most insecticides can not penetrate into buds. Those that are slightly effective (like Orthene) initiate a whole new set of problems (like spider mites) because they kill every bug in sight, including natural predators such as the Minute Pirate bug. There is a relatively "organic" product on the market called Spinosad that is supposed to kill the little blighters without harming the "good" Bugs. Conserve is a brand name that contains Spinosad (there are other brand names such as Fertilome and Greenlight that contain some Spinosad also.) Have never used it so don't know how effective it is, but others have and say it does a good job....Maryl

This Spring, thrips completely ruined my first flush. I got about four or five nice pretty blooms, and then wham! There were so many thrips, I couldn't go outside without them biting me constantly! They've come and gone since then. The only way I can get halfway decent blooms is to spray the buds with insecticide. I really hate doing it, and don't spray anything else. I have a lot of companion plants with my roses though, so there are quite a few beneficial insects hanging out and they take care of the other irritating critters (like aphids). In my yard, just nothing gets rid of thrips. They are always around.

If you spray, do choose spinosad rather than Orthene. Brand names include Green Light Bull's Eye, Fertilome Borer, Bagworm. . . , and Monterey Insect Spray. You have to spray the buds as soon as the sepals begin to split and repeat at frequent intervals. Thrips breed on many plants in and out of the yard and fly to the blooms, so control is very difficult. I just wait for them to go away or be controlled by predators. Some years they are not a problem, or a barely noticeable one. Some years they are bad.

Most of my spring flush was over before the thrips showed up. And man did they show up. I couldn't go outside without being bit by the little **##^*$. I was going to let them run their cycle but they are attacking my giant tree lillies. So tonight I brake out the Bayer insecticide with Merit in it. I have already cut off the few blooms that were distroyed by the thrips but with my lillies, they only bloom one time. They aren't going to totally wipe them out. I'll only mist the blooms & buds every other day.

Thanks to everyone that posted. Sounds like a good year for Thrips in many parts of the nation. We cut off the damaged roses and burned them. I plan to use a spinosad based insecticide on the buds only. I try to use a minimum of chemicals to treat my plants and orchard, but have learned , especially in my peach orchard, that it's sometimes necessary. Since Thrips are such a widespread problem, I'm wondering if someone has developed a pheremone for a mating disruption program, like is used for the Oriental Fruit Moth? Thanks again, and we'll keep trying. luke

Rosemania has a couple of products that are efective on thrips. They're very expensive though.

Here is a link that might be useful: insecticides at Rosemania

I had a wonderful flush of roses two weeks ago and the flowers look like crap. I had to cut everyone of them due to thrips and of course the blackspot isn't helping any. I try to use as little insecticide as possible due to the bees but this is the worst I've ever seen it.

There is always the option of reducing the populations by trapping them with sticky blue cards.

Here is a link that might be useful: About the life cycles, and blue cards

What I did last year was check out the insecticides at the Rosemania site. You can bring up what is in each one. Then I went to Lowes and my local feed store & picked up the insecticide that has that same stuff a lot cheaper.