3 Organic Ways To Rid Your Roses Of Aphids
If you enjoy cultivating roses, you have likely encountered aphids in your garden. These small pests feed by piercing the stems of budding young roses, robbing them of the nutrients the buds needs to bloom properly. If you want your roses to be as beautiful as possible, then managing the aphid population in your garden is essential.
Here are three organic methods you can use to rid your roses of aphids in the future.
1. Use a garden hose with a pressure nozzle.
A powerful stream of water will be enough to knock aphids from the leaves, buds, and stems of your rose plants and onto the ground where they can be eaten by the helpful bugs that inhabit your garden.
Be sure that you carefully monitor any roses that have already bloomed as you spray your shrubs with water. Watch for signs that the water pressure is harming your roses' petals (some signs include petals falling off or excessive movement when sprayed with water), and adjust the pressure accordingly to get rid of aphids without harming your roses.
2. Boost your ladybug beetle population.
If you are looking to have a predator do the dirty work for you when it comes to getting rid of aphids from your rose bushes, it can be beneficial to boost your ladybug beetle population. Ladybugs have a voracious appetite for aphids, with an adult ladybug consuming 50 or more aphids each day.
You can purchase ladybugs in bulk from your local garden center. Just be sure that you mist your ladybugs with a water bottle after purchase, then keep your bugs refrigerated until you are ready to release them to prevent deterioration.
3. Attract bug-eating birds into your garden.
Just as ladybugs can help you control your aphid population organically, bug-eating birds like chickadees and warblers can help you rid your rose bushes of aphids. Attract more of these birds into your garden by helping them meet their basic needs: food, water, and shelter.
Place bird feeders and bird houses around your garden area, and install a bird bath for your new feathered friends. Attracting bug-eating birds is a great way to manage your aphid infestation without using harmful chemicals.
Finding organic ways to deal with aphids infesting your rose bushes isn't difficult. Try using pressurized water to dislodge aphids from your roses, or let Mother Nature take her course by introducing ladybugs and bug-eating birds into your garden. If these organic methods don't work, try contacting a company, like ASE Pest & Weed Supplies, to help you out with pest control.