Thanks all for your imput and gracious concern. I took leaves and some buds to local nursery for ID they were the ones who told me chilli thrips. I had this damage even before I sprayed. It actually started with my double knockouts. I have had this for a few months but have been spraying for bs and other bugs so I suspected chemical burn also so I stopped spraying for a while and pruned bushes. The new growth and buds were deformed if open at all, and leaves were crinkled and really small and funky looking.I used conserve this am. Hope this works! Patrick Good Luck with yours..........Susan

I had Chilli thrips for the first time this year. I hate them. I ordered a Greenlight product with Spinosad, but the problem cleared up with the cooler temps before I could use it. I am ready for them now when they come back! I also noticed it seemed worse on my blushing knockout so I removed it to prevent the spread to the other roses. So far I have only noticed them on roses, but I have heard they go after plumbago, indian hawthorn, and many other plants. I also noticed the roses at Epcot seemed to have evidence of Chilli Thrips this year. Good Luck!

You poor thing you really are going through it aren't you? It is enough to make you want to give up and throw in the towel. I am a Consulting Rosarian and I can help! I also take care of 30 rose gardens and over the years I've seen a lot off stuff! But I've never seen that leaf notcher before! I will say that beetles and weevils in general are very hard to kill. Mostly I kill what I see because the alternative is heavy duty insecticide. Don't let anyone talk you into using milky spore. It works on Japanese beetles but not much else. So for *now* I suggest doing nothing about the notchers other than picking them off when you see them. It would help to know what kind of roses you have and how many? Blackspot is something that you need to prevent. It is very difficult to get under control when you already have it. If you have modern roses then it is pretty much a given that you've got to spray them with with some chemical preventive. Rose Pride by Ortho is the ole standby BUT always wear eye protection when using it. Rose Pride can be combined with Dithane M-45 found at garden shops not at box stores. Using together will help you get a handle on the BS quicker. I was one of the first ones to find chili thrips. No one knew what they were! And they are sooo tiny! Conserve is a good product. It comes in a quart bottle and is thick and white. If what you bought is clear then you have the "lite" product which I have heard doesn't work as well...but use it. As with all insecticides it is a good idea to rotate to avoid the little biggars from building up a resistance. It will be helpful to know how many roses you are growing so I know what products to suggest. I wouldn't suggest the same product for 5 roses as 25 roses. Let me hear from you... Laura

Thanks, Anna. I like a bargain and I have 'rescued' more plants that I should. I hope I am gaining some wisdom but sometimes the plant lust just strikes and logic goes out the window. I think I did the right thing by taking the plants back. Sally, our neighborhood is not overly landscaped or gardened, so perhaps the chilli thrips haven't found us yet. I don't like to spray, so whatever starts to look bad or dies, I am going to have to live with. Isn't that the way, just when you're starting to have fun, something happens to spoil it?? I don't have any suggestions about what you can plant in place of the KOs, Sally. You are warmer than I am. We are farther from any ocean or canals and sorry we don't have the temperature moderation the water provides. If we were warmer, I'd try some more colorful leaved tropicals. Still learning how to garden in Florida, Marcia