I'm sorry about your insect troubles. We share the same onslaught.

Knock Out roses are great for fungus resistance/proofness, but insects can bring them to their knees just like they can to any other rose from any classification.

There is no easy solution to combatting our insect enemies. No truly insect proof/resistant roses have yet been bred. However, fungus dseases: black spot, cercospora, powdery mildew, rust, downy mildew, etc., have been given a heavy blow by rose breeders these days. Several newer introductions, like the Knock Outs, do laugh at black spot (the chief nemesis I face), but not so at insects.

I hate using any laboratory produced chemicals to combat insects, but I have found no other alternative. The organic methods have shown to be ineffective for me, and often cause damage to the bush's foliage.

Since I want to keep from harming myself the most, I have opted out of doing biweekly spraying for insects. There is a once a year soil drench I am now using to combat my insect issues. I am using the Bonide version, but other manufactures, like Bayer, have their own version.

A prescribed amount of the insecticide drench is watered into the root zone of each bush, ideally a month before spring leaf out begins, and consequently, treated bushes are given 12 months of protection from tip to crown.

Moses

Moses: can you provide a reference that describes your product’s provision of 12/twelve months of insect protection with the single (pre leaf-out) application?

I’m particularly interested since midges are in phylum Arthropoda class Insecta.

I’m also interested to know what ”ate” the OP’s buds. Anyone?

Thank you so much for your replies! I spent the morning picking off more worms/caterpillars. I’m fairly certain at this point that these are budworms. I looked at many google images of both the caterpillars and the damage they cause to arrive at this conclusion. Nasty things, they are.

I purchased some Bonide Bt spray and sprayed the shrubs from top to bottom. I read that it is supposed to be safe for the good insects including bees, so I hope that’s the case.

Moses, I am considering the soil drench, but want to see how this works first. There is another targeted organic product that I might try next.

I am currently trying to ward off deer, these nasty creepy-crawlies, and a very persistent groundhog that is aggravating me on a daily basis. Ugh.

I cannot definitively identify the bud damage in the photo. My guess is larva/caterpillar damage was done to the two buds to the right.

For the first time this year I've used the Bonide Tree and Shrub 12 month insect control soil drench, $24.97/gal. on Amazon. Its ingredient is 1.47% imidacloprid. The insecticide drench, is concentrated, and diluted with water, then applied to the root zone by watering can.

No one I know of has come up with a specific formulary for rose bushes, so I used my judgement and studied the rate of application for trees and shrubs, and proceeded accordingly. Large, mature bushes and climbers got a greater amount of the solution than smaller bushes. Common sense told me to apply only when the bushes are well hydrated and the soil is moist, as in after a good watering/rainfall. This was particularly important to me since I did my drench after leaf out.

The dilution rate I used was 1 cup of concentrate per gallon of water. My enormous Lady Ashe, climber, got a gallon of solution. A just planted quart size Easy Spirit got a pint of solution.

Midge season (rose midge fly is by far my worst insect pest), is well underway here in the 'Burgh. So far, no damage, and I watch for it like a hawk. Since the midge fly is constantly making new, consecutive generations without any gaps until frost, and the females always lay their eggs on new growing tips also until frost, it will be awesome to see no damage, all season long. I hope the drench lives up to its credence.

Moses