Aphids on roses

What is aphid

Green rose aphid is a small insect no more than 3 mm long. With the help of a long proboscis, she feeds on the juice of leaves and flowers. It forms large colonies on plants that can cause irreparable harm in a matter of days. Aphids can produce 8 – 12 generations per season (1), which makes the work of eradicating them constant. 

Aphids spread through the garden through flying individuals and friendship with ants.

What is dangerous aphids on roses

Damage to rose bushes by aphids causes not only deformation, yellowing and drying of the leaves, but also deformation and fall of the buds, the appearance of a sticky coating on the foliage and buds. 

The worst thing is that plants weaken, lose their ability to resist diseases and weather disasters. Damage to leaves and stems opens the gate for the penetration of fungal and viral diseases. If you do not take action, then, ultimately, the plant may die.

Signs of aphids on roses

Often gardeners notice aphids when they have already stuck around the tops of rose shoots in colonies. But the first insects appear earlier, as soon as the growth of young shoots begins, hiding under the leaves. Outwardly, it seems that a gentle fluff appeared on the underside of the leaf, but in fact, these young individuals began their wrecking work.

Causes of aphids on roses

There are 5 reasons that lead to aphid outbreaks on roses:

• in the garden there are sources of aphids – overwintered oviposition;
• excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers, which leads to the rapid growth of young shoots that attract insect pests;
• uncontrolled activity in the garden of ants that carry aphids through plants;
• working in the garden with contaminated tools, which may contain both eggs and young aphids;
• illiterate garden care, which inhibits the reproduction of natural enemies of aphids – small birds and beneficial insects (2).

How to treat aphids on roses

Aphid control is the most important agricultural practice that allows you to grow healthy, beautiful, luxuriantly blooming roses. There are 3 ways to deal with this pest.

Mechanical. It is used with a small number of pests: plants are inspected every day and aphids are crushed by hand. You can also use washing the bushes with a stream of cold water or dusting with wood ash. However, this only causes the aphids to fall to the ground and require additional measures to destroy them.

Folk remedies. For example, spraying with infusions and decoctions of herbs with insecticidal properties. 

Chemical and biological. This is the most efficient option. In this case, chemical or biological insecticides are used to control aphids. 

Aphids on a room rose

In room conditions, aphids also appear on roses. As a rule, this is the result of our oversight. Aphids or their larvae can be brought into a house with infested soil, with plants that have spent the summer in the garden, on a balcony or an open window, with a bouquet or a new plant, and even on a pet’s clothing or fur. One individual is enough for your home roses to quickly occupy aphid colonies. 

Most often, not a green rose aphid lives on indoor roses, but a white one. But this does not negate any preventive measures or measures to combat it.

Folk methods 

In room conditions, it is worth starting to destroy it mechanically: examine the plant every day and crush insects with your fingers. The system is important: every day for a month from the moment the aphid was discovered, even if it seems to you that it is no longer there. Prevention is also important: a weekly shower for a rose. And you can not prevent excess nitrogen in the soil. 

In the initial stage of the colonization of roses by aphids, simple folk methods are often enough – spraying the plant with infusions or decoctions. A good result is given by spraying with a garlic-soap solution and an infusion of orange peels.

Garlic-soap infusion. Pour a head of chopped garlic with 1 liter of warm water, add about 1 teaspoon of tar soap grated on a fine grater and leave for 2-3 hours. 

Infusion of orange peels. In this case, pour 100 g of dry orange peels into 1 liter of hot water and insist for a day.

Preparations 

Chemical insecticides can clear aphids from roses in a matter of days or even hours. But it is very difficult to use them indoors – you need at least an isolated room where a person and animals cannot enter for 2 to 4 hours, then active ventilation. And be sure to use personal protective equipment.

Of the most effective means – spraying or watering under the root with Aktara’s solution, spraying with Commander or Inta-vir (3).

In room conditions, it is more reasonable to use bioinsecticides. But also strictly according to the instructions and in compliance with safety rules. In the warm season, it is more convenient to take the rose to a ventilated balcony and spray it with Fitoverm or Lepidocide solution 2 times with an interval of 14 days following the instructions on the insecticide packages. 

Aphids on roses in the open field

Aphids on roses in open ground multiply rapidly and harm the decorative qualities of roses, provoke outbreaks of viral and fungal diseases. The first colonies of the pest appear in the spring, as soon as the young shoots begin to grow and we are forced to apply nitrogen fertilizers to stimulate the development of roses. The better the roses develop, the more young growth they have, tender and “tasty” for aphids. 

It is extremely important not to miss this moment and start the destruction of the pest. As a rule, temperature drops are observed at this time, which provokes the spread of fungal diseases and fungal spores easily penetrate the wounds caused by aphids. There is a threat of infection of roses with bacterial and viral diseases. 

To combat aphids in open ground, various methods are used. Mechanically, you can fight the pest only at the very beginning of the infection – just press with your fingers. 

Folk methods popular with summer residents are mostly safe for both humans and bees, fish, and pets. However, they require a long struggle and do not always guarantee success.

Industrial insecticides are heavy artillery. To date, there are not only highly effective drugs, but also relatively safe for humans and the environment.

Folk methods

Before using pesticides, it is worth analyzing the situation and if it is not critical, then try to destroy the aphids with folk remedies. And here the system is important, because weekly thorough treatments of the entire plant, each leaf from the upper and lower sides will be required. As practice shows, folk remedies are most effective in the second half of summer, when insects no longer multiply so rapidly.

Here are some recipes that can be effective.

Soap, whey, soda ash. Solutions based on laundry and tar soap, whey (1 liter of whey, 1 tablespoon of soda ash per 10 liters of water) have proven themselves well, because they form a film on the leaves, which prevents aphids from eating.

Infusion of wood ash. Prepare it like this: 1 kg of ash, 2 – 3 tbsp. tablespoons of grated soap per 10 liters of water and insist 1 day. Such a decoction inhibits aphids and provides roses with additional nutrition. This tool is used 2 days in a row, then take a break for 7 to 10 days and repeat the treatment, which ensures maximum results.

Tobacco dust. Dusting plants with tobacco dust does not solve the problem, but it deters aphids from settling new shoots.

Preparations

To combat aphids, 3 types of insecticidal preparations have been developed: biological, contact and systemic.

biological insecticides. They are considered safe for humans, animals and bees, as they are of natural origin. These drugs are most effective at air temperatures above 20 ° C. Leaves do not accumulate. They can be used during flowering. 

Not addictive in insects. However, they also require compliance with the recommended dosages and safety measures. 

The most popular among summer residents are the following bioinsecticides:

• Phytoverm – an enteric-contact agent that causes the death of insects 72 hours after treatment, 2-3 treatments are recommended with an interval of 7 to 20 days;
• Akarin – an enteric-contact agent that begins to act 4 hours after treatment and leads to the death of aphids within a day;
• Iskra-Bio – enteric-contact agent, acts on larvae and adults. Application is similar to Fitoverm (3).

contact insecticides. They cause instant death of pests when the solution comes into contact with them. They belong to hazard classes 2 and 3, therefore, strict adherence to safety rules and the use of drugs so as not to harm bees, fish and pets are required. 

With frequent use, pests are addictive, so alternation with other pesticides is recommended. Do not use soap additives, combine with pesticides and fertilizers with an alkaline reaction of the solution.

The most popular among summer residents:

• Decis – instant insecticide, effective up to 2 weeks, little washed off from plants, strict dosage is required;
• Intavir – the period of protective action is up to 20 days, its effectiveness does not decrease in cold weather;
• Tanrek – kills aphids within 3 – 5 hours, protective period lasts up to 20 days, effective in heat and cold (3).

Systemic insecticides. These are the most effective pesticides because they accumulate in the plant and paralyze pests while eating. They are highly dangerous for humans and bees, therefore, they require the strictest observance of safety rules. Not addictive. They must not be mixed with other pesticides.

The most popular among summer residents:

• Aktara – a highly toxic pesticide, when sprayed, the death of insects occurs within 4-6 hours, acts for 3 weeks, and when watered under the root up to 2 months;
• Biotlin – gives the greatest effect in 3 – 4 days after treatment, the protection period is up to 28 days;
• Confidor – a pesticide that causes rapid death of aphids and contains a fungicide that suppresses fungal spores, one application per season is sufficient (3).

Prevention of roses from aphid infestation

Prevention should begin from the moment of purchase of planting material. Plants should be inspected, washed with water, sprinkled with a solution of Guapsin and carefully covered with a film or placed in a plastic bag for a day. If there were aphids on the seedling, they will die.

In the future, it is important to observe the following rules:

• work with roses with a clean tool;
• apply nitrogen fertilizers strictly according to the instructions;
• regularly feed roses with phosphorus, potassium and wood ash – this is important for the balance of nutrients;
• when single pests appear, control measures should be applied as soon as possible – from mechanical destruction to insecticides;
• timely destroy garden ants, which are carriers of aphids;

It is useful to dust the soil in potted roses kept on open verandas or balconies with tobacco dust after each watering.

By the way, roses are less attracted to aphids if their companions in flower beds are lavender, sage and hyssop.

Popular questions and answers

We asked about aphids on roses agronomist Oleg Ispolatov – he answered the most popular questions of summer residents.

Sources of

1. Grebenshchikov S.K. A reference manual on plant protection for gardeners and gardeners (2nd edition, revised and additional) // M .: Rosagropromizdat, 1991 – 208 p.
2. Gorodets O. Luxurious roses for your garden // M .: Eksmo-Press, 2015
3. State catalog of pesticides and agrochemicals permitted for use on the territory of the Federation as of July 6, 2021 // Ministry of Agriculture of the Federation

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