Insects

(October 2012)

I live in Bella Vista. Yesterday, I found green bugs on my roses. They look like green lady bugs. Are they related to the red variety? Are they harmful to my roses? Should I spray and if so with what?

Sounds to me like a cucumber beetle which has a little longer body than our typical lady beetle, but it has black spots on a green body. It is a nuisance insect and can transmit diseases. I would not encourage them, but try killing them with rotenone, pyrethrum or liquid Sevin. Avoid spraying when bees are present. Cucumber beetles often move on to the roses once they finish in the vegetable garden, so try to control them.

(October 2007)

I just planted some roses in my yard and now I have a beetle problem. I have tried Bayer rose food and pesticide granules but they didn’t work. Currently I started using Sevin spray formula but it washes off in the rain and the next morning I have beetles on my roses. Do you have any suggestions of long-term treatment. Also I noticed the beetles are eating a tree when they are not on the roses.

I am assuming by beetles you mean the Japanese beetle. These insects can wreak havoc in a short period of time and love roses. There are several insecticides on the market that can help, but I don’t think there is anything yet that is 100% effective. The Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub product can work, but it must be applied early in the season, when the plants are leafing out, not when you see beetle damage. You can also use Orthene, Decathlon (cyfluthrin), and permethrin. Japanese beetles are voracious eaters and feast on a wide range of plants. They give off a pheromone when feeding which attracts even more Japanese beetles, thus they often get into a feeding frenzy in a short period of time, so don’t ignore them.

(July 2006)

I have been struggling with tiny white bugs and little green aphids on my roses. I have fed them the plant food with systemic bug killer and sprayed them several times with rose bug killer, but they are still climbing around on the buds and eating them. Is there an effective organic way to kill these critters?

Organically, you should be able to use Insecticidal soap for the aphids. It is effective, but may need more than one application. However if you are currently spraying (non-organically) for black spot disease on your roses, use Orthenex--which is a combination of Orthene for insects and Funginex for the disease. If you are not spraying for disease issues, just use Orthene. It should take care of your insect problems. Make sure the plant is well watered prior to spraying.

(August 2006)

I'm attaching two photos that I took of the blooms on my climbing Joseph's Coat rose bush. The bush looks very healthy and has been growing well - I planted it earlier in the summer. However, the petals on the blooms are curled - when the bud first starts, it looks fine, but as it opens, they all seem to have the curls on them. Could it be thrips? And if so, how is the best way to treat them?

It could be thrips. Since it is a new plant, it could also be a reaction to a more limited root system, with the intensely hot, dry summer. The plant itself looks quite healthy. Continue to water, do a good job of sanitation this fall, getting rid of all spent blooms and fallen leaves. I would imagine by the looks of the foliage that you have done a great job of spraying for disease, but again go lightly with the heat. Watch closely next spring, and if you see a problem then, use a systemic insecticide such as Orthene or Acephate to control any thrips. If you cut into a bud, you should be able to see them moving around inside the flower. They are tiny, so you may want a magnifying glass.v

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