At the appropriate time (midsummer here), I start scouting for randomly wilted growth tips. Stems with worms in them feel hollow; also one of the kinds here girdles the growth tip two leaves from the top when laying eggs. I am usually able to save all but a foot or so of stem. As you know, they will destroy a six-foot cane if not found early. If you want to try a chemical, try spinosad applied to the new growth a couple of times during the period that eggs are being laid (you'll have to look that up for your area). Spinosad has a good environmental profile and won't encourage spider mites, but don't spray it into open flowers. It is sold as Ferti-lome Borer, Bagworm etc., and as Monterey Insect Spray. I think the western version of this insect is known as the Raspberry Horntail.

I can echo the cat suggestion! I have two healthy young indoor/outdoor cats who began life as barn cats at a friend's dairy farm. Nike and Frank arrived all cuddly and lovable, a few months old, in early summer 03. They made a trip to the vet for spay/neuter thing, and go every year for all their necessary immunizations. I have no more moles or voles around the house, and very few chipmunks make it close to the house for long (I live in a clearing in the woods). Of course, I do have to accept the cleanup of whatever they leave on my deck. The record day was three chipmunk heads (I don't want to know where the rest went), two gray rodent tails with some innards attached, and a perfect mole. They don't seem to like the taste of mole. The other downside, until I learned to brace the slider screen, was that Duke, the old indoor cat, learned how to open the slider, and let the hunters in at night while he went AWOL. I always call them in when I am ready to go to sleep. They don't always show up before dawn, but if they do I don't let them bring in any presents. Well Duke did, and one morning I woke up to find Nike purring on the pillow next to me - and bloodstains next to her. And she didn't have a mark on her....so my guess is she brought in her midnight snack. So now Duke can't open the screen. Not only are there fewer yard and garden rodents, the annual fall invasion into garage and cellar is under control. There is maintenance involved - the cats take more work than my six chickens - but the payoff is worth it. BTW, I have two large litter boxes, three in the winter when the hunters take a sabbatical and refuse to go out. In the summer, when they can spend a lot of time outside, only Duke uses "the facilities" and I can clean every other day. In the winter, I add the third box and clean daily. Get a cat!

I had two shortish bushes that had several infestations of spider mites earlier in the season. I added compost to the base of each plant and worked in a lot of those water retaining crystals and then mulch. It amazes me that when I touch the ground under those roses the ground feels cool and moist, while the rest of the garden is dry and hot. Apparently that was just enough moisture to keep the spider mites at bay, because the plants have not been reinfested (knock on wood).

"Integrated Pest Management is not using several methods at once to control a potential problem, as I have heard some dexcribe it." Actually, the basis of IPM is often using a combination of methods, techniques, and materials to manage pests. Just about every definition will include language stating this. The Clemson University site states it well: "IPM is a decision-making process that anticipates and prevents pest activity and infestation by combining a number of different strategies to achieve long-term solutions to pest problems." IPM is also not a simple A then B then C list of choices, rather it is a more holistic and complete way of assessing all of the available choices to come up with the best solution, or set of solutions, arrived at after a thorough understanding of the problem is achieved.