Rose insects

From Gardening Wiki

Contents 1 Insects and Pests that Affect Roses 2 Rose Slugs 3 Rose Leaf Hoppers 4 Rose Beetles 5 The Rose Curculio

Insects and Pests that Affect Roses

The Rose plant louse or aphis is one of the commonest pests; it appears on the young growths and reproduces with great rapidity, soon covering the plants. The tips of branches are stunted and the buds only produce deformed flowers. The daily syringe advocated elsewhere will do much to lessen the attacks, for the insects will be washed off the plants. Whale oil soap (one pound to ten gallons of water), or some nicotine preparation, will surely kill them if one keeps at them.

Rose Slugs

There are several slugs which affect roses. In each case they are worms which skeletonize the leaves and even attack the plant when the leaves first unfold. Arsenate of lead (one pound arsenate of lead to twenty-five gallons of water) is effective, but even water will check them if applied with force. Hellebore is good dusted on the leaves; it should first be diluted to half its weight with flour or plaster.

Rose Leaf Hoppers

The leaf hoppers can be controlled by spraying with tobacco extract on the under side of the leaves. The Rose leaf roller can be controlled with arsenate of lead. There is also the Rose scale, which can easily be washed from the canes by using a coarse brush and a solution of corrosive sublimate, or on a large scale sprayed with lime sulphur, or the canes burned.

Rose Beetles

The Rose beetle is especially prevalent on sandy soils. It is a slender beetle, thickly clothed with hairs, yellow; its legs are long, slender, and pale red in color. It appears in early Summer, feeding on leaves and flowers. A spray with a poison does little, but by some it is thought that they can be poisoned with arsenate of lead if it is mixed with molasses and sprayed on the foliage. Hand picking is really necessary. They should be dropped into oil. The white and light colored flowers are attacked more than dark reds. The larvae feed on roots of Rose plants.

The Rose Curculio

The Rose curculio, a snout beetle, is found often on wild Roses, also on Rosa rugosa, on the unfolding bud. They should be hand picked. They drill into the bud and are found late in the day or early in the morning.