Hi Pat,
I leave my scapes alone until they turn brown. As long as the scapes are green, the plant can reabsorb the energy. Since I have more than 600 daylilies, I don't have time to cut all the scapes down during the season. I pull the scapes out in the fall when it's safe to do so. People who only have a few daylilies and must have their gardens looking tidy probably cut them back much sooner than I do. You can get a good bud count on most daylilies long before they're finished blooming. It's only those very few bud builders that you can't.

Debra