Question
I live in the South, near Shreveport, LA and I have two Yellow Rose bushes. Just recently they have been getting eaten and I can not find any bugs on them on the stems, leaves or even the buds. I have found black edging on the eaten buds, the full blooms have black in the middle and there is a mouse like dropping on some of the blooms as well. The leaves do not seem to be touched. None of my other plants have exhibited signs of munching either. I have yet to try any insecticide as I would like to use the right stuff the first time.

Answer
Rose midge are microscopic in size and difficult to recognize until you see the telltale damage they have caused. They both reproduce very rapidly, causing a major infestation that will be difficult to control .It is a rose midge that is causing your problems. These tiny winged insects lay their eggs in the flower buds and when they hatch in the spring they eat the flowers which damages them and causes the tip growth to be stunted and the edges to die and go brown. Prune out these infested buds to remove the larvae, reducing the number of midges available to reinfest the plants.  Chemical control is needed for persistent problems. Systemic insecticides are the best choice. Acephate (Orthene) and dimethoate (Cygon-2E) are systemic chemical controls.