How to Get Rid of Pests in Rose Bushes

As mentioned, the rose bush is a very sensitive plant and requires special care. One such way to look after it is to keep it safe from infestations of insects that can attack it and cause it to die. Before we explain how to remove pests from rose bushes, you should get to know the most common insects that attack your plant:

• The aphid is the insect that attacks rose bushes most frequently. It usually attacks the rosebuds and causes the leaves to curl. Some home remedies to defend against aphids will help you get rid of this infestation.

• Red spider mites or mites; while you may not spot them at first glance, believe us, they are there. To find out if your rose bush has an infestation of red spider mites, you should check the back of the leaves - if they're yellow, you have an infestation.

• Whiteflies, just like mites, turn the back of leaves yellow when they attack it.

• Be careful with snails - they eat leaves! They are especially frequent after a good downpour and are very harmful to your roses. In our article on effective natural remedies to get rid of snails and slugs we provide tips to remove them for good.

• Rosebush caterpillars, also known as rosebush flies, are a pest which are almost as common as aphids. This insect lays its eggs on the leaves of your plant, and when the larvae hatch they eat the leaves in order to survive.

• Cochineal; it's easy to know if your rose bush has a cochineal infestation - the leaves will be sticky!

• Green mosquitos are tiny experts in camouflage which will go unnoticed as they sleep underneath the leaves of your rose bush. The problem with these guests is that they'll cause the color of the leaves to fade.

• White worm is undoubtedly the most dangerous pest for the simple reason that there is no way of knowing it's there. White worms attack the roots of the rose bush until it dies. A good way to keep them away is by keeping the soil well fertilized.

Before explaining how to get rid of pests in rose bushes, you need to know that there are some easy ways to prevent insect, parasite and fungi infestations from settling in. One tip is to water by pointing at the plant's roots, and not at the leaves. Wet leaves end up developing mildew or other infestations, which will not be good for the rose bush's health.

On the other hand, if we plant the rose bush in a location where it can receive more than five hours of sunshine per day, the plant will grow healthier and stronger, and it will have a greater chance of fighting pests by itself.

It's also important not to plant the rose bush near a tree with large roots. Growing marigolds close to the rose bush is also a good idea, because marigolds keep pests away.

Natural methods are your best choice in order to remove pests from your rose bush. Not only do they look after your garden, but they're also environmentally friendly. It's win-win for everyone! You can try some of these homemade methods:

• Mix 5 tablespoons of detergent (biodegradable and organic) in 3 litres of water. You'll get a powerful homemade pest repellent. Strain the resulting product until you are left with only liquid, and pour into a spray bottle. All that's left to do is spray the mixture over the rose bush and insects.

• If fungi is the problem with your rose bushes, add a tablespoon of baking powder to the above mixture. You should mix the ingredients well until the detergent stops producing foam. Before spraying the repellent, it's recommended to first pull out the infected leaves.

• Another effective pesticide is to spray cold chamomile tea onto the rosebush, or by boiling crushed garlic. But be careful with the garlic, because overdoing it can burn the plant's leaves.

The best way to prevent pests is to apply all the natural remedies that you know instead of just settling for one. Finally, you can use other methods with mosquitoes and flies:

• Try to catch them with a tempting, sticky trap. For example, try painting a cardboard with yellow waterproof paint. Once dry, apply Vaseline or petroleum jelly to attract the flying insects and keep them away from your plants.

In addition to the aforementioned methods, our article on how to get rid of pests on plants naturally provides other tips which will help to keep all these insects at bay.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Get Rid of Pests in Rose Bushes, we recommend you visit our Gardening & plants category.