Question
I live just outside Edmonton, Alberta.  My Therese Bugnet rose bushes are all about 10 years old.  They usually scent the whole back yard with the lovely fragrance of their blooms.  This year, for the first time, I am noticing a great number of buds are drying up and dropping off before opening to a bloom. What should I do?? I miss the prolific blooms of past years! Thanks for your help.

Answer
From your description, it sounds a lot like you have a rose midge problem. The life cycle of this pest is relatively short   In early spring the adult midge emerges from pupae that have overwintered in the ground  and lays eggs in the flower buds. The midge is short-lived, tiny and rarely seen. When the larvae hatch they  burrow through the buds causing them to distort, blacken and drop off. The full-grown larvae then drop to the ground where they pupate and the cycle begins again. This is repeated approximately every 2 weeks.  Attacks usually occur from May through September, peaking about July.
Prune off infected buds and destroy them and do it weekly.  Place the prunings into a plastic bag  and don't drop them on the ground. You can also place landscape fabric on the ground underneath the rose bush. This should be laid down in the early spring, in order to help prevent emerging rose midge from reaching the rose shoots. Throughout the summer it will also prevent falling larvae from reaching the ground where they would pupate and start again.