Aphids on Rose Bushes: Best Aphid Control Methods

Aphids on rose bushes are the pests that would attack on the plant’s stem and flowers for their growth and reproduction. Aphids are soft-bodied bugs belonging to the Aphidoidea family, common in temperate zones.

These small, pesky insects attack our sweet-smelling rose bushes, leaving significant damage. If you’re struggling to deal with rose aphids, this article will provide comprehensive methods on how to get rid of them, so continue reading.

What Causes Aphids to Infest on Rose Bushes?

Aphids infest on rose bushes are caused by overcrowding on plants, and as they detect sources of nutrients to feed on, they grow. Additionally, they also grow due to their stay all winter long, and lastly, the plant may have been infested by ants, making it easier for them.

Aphids damage roses, and after so, you would see that the green and pink aphids are the biggest attackers, reducing nutrients and eventually causing the plants to wilt. They can attack roses because of their morphology. Aphids can’t go far on their legs, allowing them to stick to the stems of rose plants to suck their juice.

– Overcrowding on Plants

Strangely, they are often birthed when already pregnant, which makes them easy to increase numerically rapidly. When three are excessive plants, and especially ones that have already been infested; and they will easily come near the roses.

Female aphids, especially green ones, reproduce in high numbers. When they lay eggs near an overcrowded plant, the young ones develop wings to find new plants to suck on. Your rose plant is in danger if it’s near these insects, because due to an overcrowded environment they will easily grow.

– Source of Nutrients to Feed on

Aphids target rose bushes for their plant sap, which is their only source of nutrition. Typically, this sap has more sugar than protein, so the aphids need to take a lot of sap to derive enough protein to survive. The more they suck your plant, the more your rose bush suffers. Your plant weakens, leading to stunted growth and wilting.

Because they can’t use all the sugar they take, they end up excreting it on the rose leaves in the form of honeydew, and this is dangerous to the plant. What happens here is that this sticky substance creates a shiny appearance that attracts fungal pores, which develop into a black sooty mold.

– Stayed there All Winter

In late fall, aphids can use the bushes of your rose to stay in and find shelter; they will not harm the bush as much because they aren’t as active as they would be in spring. When the climate changes, they will have a better thrive and develop, taking over the plant.

Aphids can spread various diseases to rose leaves as they suck the plant. These diseases can cause distorted growth, yellowing of leaves, and mottling. Black sooty mold is caused by fungi, which feed on the honeydew. It can cause the plant to absorb less light and nutrients but doesn’t infect the plant tissue.

As a result, you can wipe the mold off. However, the mold can spread and cause severe infection if left unchecked for long. Besides, the fungi’s feeding habit can weaken the plant and cause stunted growth.

– Attracting Ants

Ants love honeydew and will protect rose aphids from predators to get it. This symbiotic relationship can rapidly increase aphid infestations on rose plants. You will have to know that there is good news here and you can control white aphids on roses and other types using natural and chemical methods. So whichever you choose will effectively keep aphids at bay.

How to Get Rid of Aphids That Are on Rose Bushes?

To get rid of aphids on rose bushes, you can handpick them, prune the infected parts, spray water, use slow-releasing nitrogen fertilizer, use insecticides, organic pesticides, or soap solution. You can also use Diatomaceous earth, introduce predators, and use baking soda.

Unfortunately, aphids will find their way to your plant at some point. There are bound to be aphids in area roses grow. So, if you are worried, and wish to know the right approach to where do aphids on roses come from and the right way to get rid of them should be narrowed down, so you target them the right way.

Controlling aphids starts with regular inspections. Examine your rose plants frequently for any sign of aphids. Look for white, green, or pink insect clusters underneath leaves or curled foliage. When identified, proceed to any of the steps below.

– Handpicking

In light infestations, you can handpick aphids on roses by hand. Alternatively, you can knock them off the foliage to the ground, where they will become prey for insects like Japanese beetles and ladybugs.

– Pruning

Sometimes, aphid infestation may be too heavy that saving the part of the plant may not be worth it. We recommend cutting off any heavily infested plant parts. Pruning can eliminate aphid colonies and enhance air circulation around the plant, and you will take off the parts that may have the unhatched eggs.

– Water Spray

Another method is to use a strong stream of water spray. Many gardeners have found success with this method. In this case, you can use a hose and water sprayer to water the foliage, as the strong beam will knock the insects off the foliage.

You may be wondering what the best time of day to spray roses for aphids. The best time is in the morning when there’s enough time for the water to settle in before the sun dries it. Be careful not to use a spray of water too hard, as you can defoliate the plant or damage the blooms. To avoid this, start with a light spray setting and gradually increase the force depending on the outcome.

– Use Slow-Release Nitrogen Fertilizers

Aphids love feeding on nitrogen, so a good way to keep them at bay is to use slow-time release nitrogen fertilizers. These urea-based fertilizers will release nitrogen slowly into the rose bushes instead of pushing it big at once. This will prevent the reproduction of aphids. Most organic fertilizers are the slow-release type, and this way, you can free from them.

– Insecticides

Spraying insecticide on your rose bushes can control aphids. It’s less time-consuming compared to other methods and provides instant results.

Insecticides like acephate can put aphids at bay by reaching underneath the plant’s foliage, where the insects mostly hide. On the other hand, the disadvantage of this method is it will also kill the beneficial insects, opening up your plant to potential insect attacks.

– Use Organic Pesticides

Organic pesticides like neem oil can keep aphids under control. Neem oil is extracted from the neem tree, an evergreen tree, and when aphids ingest the azadirachtin compound, they become immobile and refuse to eat further and reproduce. The compound disrupts their hormonal system, eventually leading to their death.

In this case, some neem oil-based products called clarified hydrophobic extracts don’t contain the compound, but they can still do the trick. They suffocate the insects by intercepting their pores; dilute neem with dish detergent instead of water in a garden sprayer to ensure effectiveness. A general measurement is two teaspoons of oil and a gallon of dish detergent.

Neem products aren’t generally safe for predatory insects, as they may die once they ingest it. It may also be catastrophic if they eat aphids that have ingested neem. Typically, neem doesn’t harm pollinators like honey bees, but large quantities can be toxic to them. Predatory insects can be safe if they don’t chew the leaves with the oil.

– Soap Solutions

You can also use insecticidal soaps and horticultural oils as alternatives. The latter is a petroleum-based oil that can kill nutrient-sucking insects. Both soap and oil are a bit safer for predatory insects than neem since they can only eliminate soft-bodied insects like aphids by piercing their bodies and destroying the cells. Predatory insects have hardened bodies, so they are less likely to get killed.

Soaps and oils like soybean oil are effective against severe infestations. Soybean oil is best sprayed in spring before the leaves uncoil. Spray with a hose-end sprayer diluted with a gallon of water per two ounces across the entire rose bush to suffocate any aphid hiding on the leaves undersides. Generally, the manufacturer’s instructions on applying these products are to avoid any side effects, so follow them in detail.

– Introduce Natural Predators

Introducing natural enemies is a biological control method that has recorded massive success. Releasing beneficial insects like lacewings and ladybugs into your beautiful rose garden can control aphid populations. If you can’t purchase these predators, another way to attract them is by growing plants they love feasting on. For example, lacewings love pollen and nectar but don’t harm them.

Plants you can grow among your roses to attract these predators include chives, geraniums, marigolds, and yarrow. Cultivate them within a foot or two of your rose plant. These plants thrive in the ideal condition of any other plant, so ensure you create a welcoming habitat to keep the predators within the area. Release ladybugs every week until infestation minimizes, but spray the plants with some water before you do that.

– Spray with Flour

This is the easiest solution in this guide. Sprinkling flour on infested shoots will leave the insects constipated, eventually leading to their death. Sprinkle a cup of flour on the affected area and watch how the disturbing insects die, if you have spider mites, this is good to tackle them too.

– Baking Soda

Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is an excellent, multipurpose cleaning agent that can eliminate aphids easily. Sprinkle the white crystalline powder directly on the affected areas of the plant and see how many aphids will be left for dead. For more effectiveness, you can mix a teaspoon of the powder with half a teaspoon of vegetable oil in mild warm water.

– Use Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is an effective, naturally-made insecticide that can reduce aphid infestation on your rose bushes. Diatomaceous earth are rock deposits formed from fossilized remains of algae that have solidified underwater over time. These deposits are then mined and processed into a smooth, powdery substance

This substance has a high silica content that makes it effective against pests, and several studies have backed the use of Diatomaceous earth as an insecticide. When sprinkled on the affected part, the particles desiccate the outer layer of aphids and absorb the coating, dehydrating them to death. Put on gloves before using DE and clean the affected parts with garden gloves afterward.

Conclusion

Aphids on rose bushes devastate your plants, with these pest control methods, your rose flowers can grow peacefully, so let’s go over the essential points of this guide:

• Aphids vary in color and length, as the most dangerous to rose bushes are the green and pink aphids. However, the orange and white can cause significant damage
• Aphids cause damage to your plants by sucking the sap and spreading various diseases, the plant eventually wilts and dies from lack of nutrients.
• Many biological and chemical control methods exist for aphids, such as releasing natural enemies in your garden and spraying insecticide.
• Using more than one method is best to reduce the risk of insect resistance.
• Regular inspection is crucial, it will help identify infestation early enough for better control, and will minimize maintenance costs and save time.

Now that you know the various biological and chemical methods for controlling aphids, you can minimize infestations. Use the methods most comfortable and suitable for maximum impact.