Bumps on the buds and mishapen buds usually indicate thrips. I don't know what your white bugs are. Thrips are very tiny, black, and look like the top part of an exclamation mark. I have them really bad this year. I recommend using Bayer's All In One systemic - the liquid kind you poor on the soil - and spraying your buds every few days with Spinosad. I bought Spinosad online at Amazon. Hope this helps. I know how heartbreaking this can be.

Debra

Or you can use a systemic and spray the folliage and the buds wuth bonide systemic insect control. Repeat in two weeks.

I feel your pain, Crittermom! Same problem here. Lots and lots of plants have dried out buds. And it happens so quickly, one day a scape, next day I look - they all dried out. I noticed another one today with all (!) scapes yellow.
Our theory is the weird weather, and lack of rain.
There are some buds with thrips damage too, I mean those bumps, so I am not entirely sure.

I've had several plants with those dried out buds this year, more than I ever have. Of course, 2 were on new plants. I've been blaming the dry, odd weather pattern. Oddly, I haven't had any problem with thrips this year. We had weeks of warm weather & then a hard frost, I wonder if that took care of them here.