You may find that they go away after the first flush, to the point that you don't notice them. That has been the case in my garden almost every season. They are controlled by predators. However, the severity varies with location and the spring weather.

Chemical control is difficult and it likely involves damage to the environment (killing pollinators). Exhibitors spray buds every day leading up to a show. For perfect damage control, each bud must be sprayed as soon as cracks appear between the sepals and every day until the bud is cut. If a bud is sprayed when open enough for a bee to wiggle into, the bee will likely die. Spinosad is a reduced-risk pesticide that is easier on most beneficial insects, but it is toxic to bees. Pyrethrins, available at garden centers, are probably OK if sprayed after sunset. Sevin, Merit, and Orthene are more destructive than spinosad, which preserves the thrips predators..

One thing you can do with susceptible blooms is cut them early for the vase (at sepal-drop).

In the past, I have sometimes sprayed tight buds, but generally I just wait them out. Flowers look OK from a distance and some are fine for cutting. There is a lot of variation between rose varieties as to susceptibility.

Here is a link that might be useful: spinosad

Michael gave good advice except for one thing - drench the entire plant with Spinosad. That is because the adults are in the foliage. This information is from the Thrips Trials at Texas A&M. I recently was a part of these trials as a Dallas Master Gardener. The same information goes for acephate.

I only spray the plants that are susceptible - like light colored ones and only if there are no bees around. That doesn't mean some won't show up, but I try to be quite careful. Of course, as soon as I don't see any thrip damage, I stop spraying.

snowheather,

Any further information about these trials would be welcome. If the whole plant is sprayed, what is the recommended spray interval?

Let me add I would strongly recommend against spraying the whole plant with Orthene (acephate). You would be very likely creating a spider mite problem that would be must worse than the thrips problem, and wiping out the thrips predators that will eventually control that pest. Spinosad on the whole plant, maybe.

I found that you have to spray all the buds every other day. I use Bayer Advanced Rose and Flower Insect Spray. It kills them but if you look again the next day they are back again, and if I spray, the buds will at least open. I have gone through 1 bottle of spray and working on a second but after that I am not buying anymore spray. I am going to let the good bugs come in and take over because this is getting ridiculous.

MichaelG, I am assuming the interval is one week for the spray, but probably much longer if you use a systemic with acephate poured in the ground. The Entymologist did say that systemics work also. I wasn't involved in that trial, and just heard her report on it. Since the trial we were to be in (trying pyrethrins, insecticidal soap, or nothing) involved weekly drenching of the plants, I am guessing the previous trials did also. I didn't continue with the trials as the test farm was too far from my home, but a fellow Master Gardener who did told me that neither the pyrethrins nor insecticidal soap worked. He said he knew that way before the experiment was over, as he had to work so hard to count thrips!

I will try to find out more, if you like.

Last year I started using Spinosid. I spray just the white and lights that are susceptible - the buds, about every other day. I do it in the late evening to better protect the bees. Last year they did well. I will put up with some browning from thrips, but I do want to enjoy my roses. I don't spray the entire bush but the spray hits more than just the buds.
Dawn

Aside from my own bias toward dark reds, you've hit on a major reason I have avoided having too many light colored roses...those nasty thrips. The infestations do tend to go in cycles, but in general they're bad in my area. As has been said above, orthene and the Bayer Advanced insect sprays both work but are labor-intensive. I would never ever spray the whole bush with either of these two. But for those whites or pale yellows I just "have" to have, (lovely "Elina" was my absolute worst thrips magnet) when I want them for cut flowers, I pretty much always have to spray the buds in anticipation. Otherwise, as Michael said, the thrip damage doesn't prevent the blooms from at least providing some garden color. And at least thrips don't hurt the health of the bush.

I'm clueless about the Spinosid. Where does one buy it? Is it expensive?

And on the subject of healthier treatment choices, you can always buy preditors especially for thrips. But they are a partial solution. You can purchase predatory nematodes that hunt down adult thrips during the part of their life cycle when they are in the ground. There are preditory insects and mites, too, that hunt thrips. None of these measures will completely control the problem in you're in a bad area. (Adult thrips, fly from yard to yard, after all). But unless you're an avid exhibitor, it might help enought to return some of the enjoyment back to growing roses again. I used preditory nematodes in the soil one year, while continuing spot treatment with chemicals on light buds. The combination really helped when we were having a particularly bad year for thrips.

Mike

Mike in New Orleans, you can buy the spinosid from Rosemania as Converve SC.

Michaelg, you ruined my day. I feel positive that Rosemania told me that Conserve SC would not hurt the bees. When I spray, every other week, I put 2 teaspoon fulls in a 3 gallon sprayer. I wrote to Dow, and they said it would continue killing the thrips for a week to 10 days.

I wanted to kill the caterpillars and thrips, but not the lady bugs or bees. I hate it that I may be killing the bees, and cannot find good information on the product.

Sammy

I don't get a huge amount of thrips problems, but when I notice them, I just snip off the affected bud before it opens and my dogs eat them.

Of course, what works for me (not all that affected by thrips) probably won't do anything for those more severly affected.

Good luck!
Carol

Spinosad is not available here in Ontario and besides don't think I want to spray every day or so. Like Michaelg said flowers look ok from a distance only smaller.

Yesterday at one of the garden centers they recommended
WILSON ROSE DOCTOR
Insecticide-Fungicide but I didn't buy it. Will just wait it out and see what happens with the next flush.

Wilson Rose Doctor
® GUARANTEE: Malathion 4%, Carbaryl 5%, Folpet 5%

controls the following insects and diseases on roses and other
flowers and ornamentals.
INSECTS: Aphids, Flea Beetles, Young Grasshoppers, Leafhoppers, Leafminer, Mites, Rose Chafer, Tarnished Plant Bug, Thrips, Caterpillars, Leafroller, Loopers, Scale Insects (crawler stage only).
DISEASES: Black Spot of Roses, Powdery Mildew, Anthracnose.
DIRECTIONS: Apply a thin, uniform coating on both sides of the foliage when the insects or diseases appear. Dust when air is calm. Apply more lightly on young or tender foliage. Proper applications to protect plants from disease should be made throughout the growing season at 7 Â 10 day intervals.
Carbaryl is toxic to bees. Do not use where bees are foraging.
TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION: Carbaryl is a moderate, reversible cholinesterase inhibitor. Atropine is antidotal.
www.wilson.nu-gro.com

BTW thrips attack dark colored roses too as my new "Prince" has only one bud and its chewed up too. Palatine Roses said thrips attack red colors too they are just not as noticeable.

My "Heritage" that I grew in Florida was full of thrips. This one here is doing fine just had some rust early on.

One rose "Peace" had caterpillars those tiny green ones maybe they are sawflies I just hand picked them for few days and donÂt see any now.

For now I have seen thrips only on two rose bushes and hope it stays that way.

Thank you to all for responding!

Millie

FYI- Spinosad is available at Lowe's under the Green Light label and costs $11.00 (That's a whole lot cheaper than buying Conserve, which is the same thing!)

Also many stores carry Fertilome products, Fertilome Borer, Bagworm... etc is spinosad. You can order Bulls Eye from Gardens Alive.

Sammy, Conserve (spinosad) isn't as bad as the others, but I wouldn't want to spray it on open fllowers.

About pyrethrins-- you can get a squirt bottle (many different labels) at any garden store. It would need applying every day or two, as there is no residual effect. It can be applied in the evening after pollinators go away.

Some pale roses I have that the thrips don't seem to bother much are Quietness and Kronprincessin Viktoria, and small or single roses like Kathleen, Carefree Sunshine, Katerina Zeimet.

Thrips damage in my garden seems to be tailing off currently.

Millie-- carbaryl in the Wilson product is the generic name for the chemical of which Sevin is a trade name. It's annoying that the Canadian regulators are excluding more earth-friendly products.

Michael, that's why I didn't buy. The Canadian government has banned chemical use in some cities but guess they still have old stock in some places. I did buy Funginex at $2.00 a bottle just in case I need to use it for blackspots.

snowheater, that's good to know when I am in Florida for thrips as Lowes is close by.