Insect
Prevention and Treatments for Roses
One of the most common
insects or pests that can attack your
roses are aphids, followed by cane borers, Japanese beetles and sawfly
larvae. There are many solutions for insect
prevention and
treatments. These can
be
found at your local garden stores. These
insects
can be effectively treated with insecticides
and insecticidal soaps. Treat
your roses
early and on a regular basis, do not wait until insects have moved in.
Aphids
These are very common
on roses and can become a big problem
if not treated. Aphids attach themselves to the top and bottom of
leaves and to stems. They weaken rose plants by sucking out the juices
from the plant leaving it open for diseases. They can multiply very
quickly and spread to other plants. 
To control these
insects, use insecticidal soap, they can be
purchased at your local garden store, follow the directions on the
label. Also water is another treatment to remove these pests, just
spray them
from your plants with a water hose. Using a more natural approach to
rid your plants of these pests is a great idea. Insect eaters, like
Ladybugs provide 100% control of aphids, no insecticides to mess with.
They fed on aphids and can be released into your garden on a regular
basis through May and August.
Cane
Borers
These insects bore into
the tips of rose canes and cause the
tips to wilt. To rid the canes of this insect, cut
back the rose cane until you
find the insect and kill it. Placing a
small amount
of vaseline on 
the cut will help
prevent diseases from getting into the
wound.
Rose
Stem Borers
These are adult
beetles,
that lay eggs in rose canes. The
eggs or larvae eat their way around the diameter of a cane, in about a
one to two inch area at the bottom of a cane. This causes the cane to
swell and the area above the swell to die. To prevent the larvae from
surviving, cut the cane to the ground and place vaseline on the cut.
Remove and dispose of the infected canes as soon as possible, so the
larvae can not mature and lay eggs in other canes. 
Japanese
Beetles
The Japanese beetle is
the most common of the beetles to
attack your roses. They will take over a flower and quickly destroy it.
When you see a Japanese beetle on a flower it is too late to save that
flower,
remove it and spot check your other blooms. Use powdered insecticides
to kill these beetles. Also killing the beetle larvae using a product
called "milky spore" will help control this 
insect. Some other
insecticides like Malathion and Diazinon used on a regular basis at the
first sign of these pests will also help. Special Japanese beetle traps
can be purchased that release a pheromone to trap and kill them can
also be used. Knocking them off your roses by hand into a jar of water
to kill them is another
way to remove these beetles from your
roses.
Sawfly
Larvae
These are small green
worms that coil themselves into a
circle. Controlling these worms can be a bit challenging. 
They
will
attach themselves to the underside of your rose plants leaves where
sprays do not easily reach them. Two ways to control
and treat
your
roses for these pests
are
knocking them off the leaves and stepping on them or spraying
the
underside of the leaves with insecticidal soap.
Always use
caution
when using insecticides, follow the
directions carefully, and always wear and use protective gear
when
spraying your roses. Remember that insecticides are designed
to
kill
insects and can be harmful to humans.
There are many other
insect pest not talked about on this
web page. To learn more on other insects that can infest your rose
plants visit: http://www.rosemagazine.com/pages/pests.asp.
Content
and photos may not be copied or used
without express written permission.
Copyright 2011-2012
