Aphids On Roses: How To Get Rid Of Aphids on Rose Bushes

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How do you control attacks from aphids on roses? Here’s the scene!

It’s springtime, and after a long weekend, coffee in hand, you visit your heirloom rose bush collection. All your eyes see are the flower buds of your beautiful roses covered with aphids, including the Knock Out roses.

aphid colony sucking juices from a plantPin
Aphid population sucking plant juices from rose bushes

It is not in a small area or in small numbers, but overnight, the entire aphid population attacked your rose garden.

You know if this aphid infestation is not dealt with, the sap-sucking pest, feasting on the plant juice of new growth, flower buds, and rose stems, will soon become:

  • Distorted and crippled flowers
  • Leaves and stems get covered with sooty mold as the aphids excrete a sweet, sticky substance called honeydew all over even the undersides of leaves.
  • A plant that attracts ants, which protects and farms aphids
  • Gnarled and curled leaves
  • An entire rose bush plant with less vigor

The first questions many new to battling aphid attacks are:

  • Where do you start in the control of rose aphids?
  • What chemical or natural sprays will get rid of the aphids?
  • What natural enemies will eat aphids lunching on the rose bushes?
  • Mostly, how to kill aphids on roses?

Before you grab the killing sprayer, let’s take a moment for some education.

In this article, we’ll provide an in-depth look at aphids on roses treatment.

What Species Of Aphid Bugs Eat Roses?

First, there are various species of aphids (100’s) that attack all kinds of plants.

However, there are a couple of species that fancy rose bushes.

aphids on a rose plantPin

The two “rose aphids” insects are the following:

  • Macrosiphum rosae (Rose aphid)
  • Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Potato aphid)

When Do Aphids Come Out, And When Do You Start Spraying For Aphids?

Here’s a “Master Gardener” tip: Nature gives aphids a “feeding” head start every spring.

When temperatures start to reach 50° degrees Fahrenheit, these insects “come out” and begin to hatch.

The warm spring weather arrives, and new growth begins to emerge. The plant juices start flowing, the live young begin feeding, and the population starts to increase, reaching its peak in early summer.

Predators like Aphid lions and cute, voracious Ladybugs, along with others, do not begin to hatch until temperatures average 60° degrees Fahrenheit.



This allows populations a solid 10 to 14 days to become established before the beneficial “bugs” can begin their work.

Make sure the aphid spray for roses is strong enough to knock off the insects but not so strong as to cause foliage and flowers to become damaged or stripped off the rose plant. 

Don’t wait until the garden is full of insects. During this 10 to 14-day period, apply sprays to keep the insects in check and keep the colony from growing too large.

Holding the pest in check until the predators get going helps maintain an even balance.

This reduces the need for spraying. Plus, the sprays will not wipe out the pest or harm beneficial insects.

Hand and purple rose with a blurred background.Pin
Photo Credit: Instagram @lifeatno27

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How To Get Rid Of These Pests

A major aphid infestation can cause serious damage to plant tissue, weakening or even killing plants. 

Many home gardeners start their insect control by pulling out the garden hose and hitting the new colony of young aphids, feeding on the new growth with a strong stream or spray of water.

While this home remedy of blasting the colony with water works, for starters, with many types of plants, we don’t recommend that approach with roses.

When these conditions come together: Water + Moisture + Rose Leaves all come together, they add up to Powdery Mildew or Black Spot.

Instead of getting the entire plant wet, why not opt for one of the natural spray solutions?

What Chemical Or Natural Sprays To Use For Rose Aphid Control?

Both chemical and natural spray options will work in controlling these insects, but the best insecticide for roses will depend on a few things we’ll dive into below.

However, we always want to exhaust all the options to reduce and control white aphid populations on roses organically before pulling out synthetic chemicals like Malathion, Acephate (Orethene), Merit® 75W, and others.

To answer your question, “How do I protect my roses from bugs?” take a look at these sprays.

Aphid-infested rosebud, close-up view.Pin
Photo Credit: Instagram @grow.something.beautiful

Natural homemade spray for roses include:

  • Insecticidal soap solution
  • Liquid Dish Soap Spray
  • Neem Oil – More on the Use Of Neem Oil On Roses
  • Horticultural Oils
  • Rubbing alcohol

Insecticidal Soap

This insect-killing soap is not hand-washing dish soap or detergent.

A true soap like “Castile soap” contains fatty acids. These acids dissolve or remove the cell membranes and the natural waxy protective coatings of soft-bodied insects, causing death from dehydration and excess water loss.

These insecticide soaps can be a home remedy or purchased ready-made.

Liquid Soap Solution Spray

This spray for aphids on roses is a simple homemade solution fine for use on small outbreaks.

Two ingredients are all that are required:

  • Water
  • Dish soap – like pure liquid castile soap, without any additives (like chemicals, moisturizer, or fragrance)

Follow these steps:

  • Use a sprayer or small clean spray bottle
  • In one quart of water, mix in 1 tablespoon of soap. For a one-gallon spray solution, add 4 to 5 tablespoons to a gallon of water.
  • Mix thoroughly and use immediately.

For best results, evenly coat infected plants, including the underside of leaves. The insects need to come in contact with the soap spray to be effective.

But how to get rid of aphids on roses naturally? Here are some ways:

Neem Oil

Neem oil is one of our favorite natural pest control options for aphidsscale insectsspider mitesmealybugs, and other garden insects.

The oil has low toxicity for animals and humans and is a powerful deterrent to unwanted insects.

Neem oil is a useful natural insecticide against soft-bodied insects, but it also interferes with the feeding activities of larger, tougher insects such as beetles.

Though this article is focused on controlling white aphids on rose bushes, Japanese beetles and other pests attack roses as well.

Related: More on Using Natural Neem Insecticide To Control Scale, Aphids, and More

Close-up of aphids on young plant leaves.Pin
Photo Credit: Instagram @vio_in_the_garden

Horticultural Oils

In general, use horticultural oils as your last rose aphids treatment option for controlling these pests.

Oil sprays used to be heavy. Today, these horticultural oils are refined and “lightweight.”

Most of these oils are safe for use on many plants throughout the growing season as new colonies of pests appear.

The oil is applied, dries up, and is non-toxic to plants but very effective in pest control.

The phrase “dormant spray” refers to the timing of when to use the oil and not the type of oil utilized.

Always follow the application directions on the insecticide label.

Look for products with these “labeled terms”:

  • Dormant oil spray
  • Volck oil
  • Dormant oil
  • All seasons spray oil
  • Summer oil

Related: What Is Horticultural Oil And How To Use It In Gardens

Rubbing Alcohol

A cotton swab and 70% rubbing alcohol have long been a home remedy for controlling aphids.

Take a cotton ball swab dipped in rubbing alcohol and dab it directly on the insects to kill them.

To make a rubbing alcohol pest spray, mix 1/4 cup of alcohol with 1 cup of water.

Place the solution in a small, clean spray bottle and spray the insects on infected plants.

NOTE: Beware that the leaves on some plants may burn. To treat roses, apply on cloudy days.

WARNING: Can You Make A Homemade Spray To Get Rid Of Aphids With Vinegar? Yes! But Don’t

If you search the web you’ll find the “recommendation” of mixing vinegar and water in a spray bottle to kill aphids.

The mixture will kill the insects on contact but will also do some damage to your ro,ses, and other plants sprayed.

If you want to kill weeds, use the vinegar spray but NOT on your roses.

Related: Getting Rid Of Aphids on Roses With Vinegar

What Natural Predator Insects Will Kill or Eat Aphids Attacking My Roses?

Many people, when they hear the word “bug,” assume all bugs or insects are bad. Not True!

There are lots of many good insects (beneficials) waiting for the opportunity to rid your garden of “bug” and lunch on some pests.

Timing is important when using “natural enemies” If the food source is not available, they will leave and hunt elsewhere or die for lack of food.

Aphids on a red bud, macro nature shot.Pin
Photo Credit: Instagram @799sphotos

A few natural predators for controlling these bad insects include:

  • Ladybugs or Lady beetles
  • Green Lacewings
  • Hoverfly
  • Parasitic Wasps

Ladybugs or Lady beetles

The cute little-spotted lady beetles (ladybug) are voracious insect predators and the best-known enemy of aphids roses.

Both larvae and adults actively prowl gardens during the day, hunting for soft-bodied “true bugs.”

Once spotted, the cute ladybug uses its powerful jaws to grasp and consume their prey.

In fact, egg-laying adults can gobble up two hundred of these insects per day.

Related: How To Use Lady Bug In Gardens

Green Lacewings

The green lacewing earned the name “aphid lions” because of their aggressive voracious appetite.

After hatching, the lacewing larvae begin searching for garden pests to consume with a favorite delicacy – aphids.

These “eating machines” are constantly hunting for the next meal.

If they encounter a slow-moving, soft-bodied insect or their eggs – they will eat it.

Related: Learn To Use Green Lacewings For Gardens Pest Control

Hoverfly

Hoverflies larvae often are found in the midst of a colony devouring their prey.

The larvae love soft-bodied pests like thrips, aphids, and plant scales. Hoverflies are also excellent pollinators.

The hoverfly takes second place to the lady beetle or ladybug with its capability of wiping out large numbers of aphids.

Related: Learn Natural Control With Beneficial Hoverflies

Parasitic Wasps

Parasitic wasps may be tiny but are important natural control agents.

These wasps, live a portion of their lives inside other insects as parasites. They vary in color and size but are usually black or brown and small to medium in size.

In general, parasitic wasps do not sting and provide natural biological control of other insects.

The wasp lays their eggs inside the bodies of these insects using their ovipositor, a pointed egg-laying structure.

The young parasite eggs hatch and begin feeding on the contents of their “host,” killing it.

Two parasitic wasps common in gardens are:

Pest management is the key to insect control for your roses and other plants in gardens.

  • Learning when aphids feed
  • Knowing your control options
  • Understanding when sprays are the most effective without killing off the good insects.

You have many options available for keeping aphids on your roses under control. It’s learning to use the tools and maintain the balance.