How to Rid Roses of Aphids
- 1). Wait them out. Fortunately aphids do little long term damage to roses. If your rose bush is healthy, you may want to do nothing and wait out the aphids. Aphids are only around for about a month, and after they are gone, most roses can continue to make beautiful flowers all summer long.
- 2). Keep your rose bush healthy. Healthy roses are less stressed by the presence of aphids. If your roses get plenty of sun, and are watered and fertilized regularly, they are less likely to attract aphids. If a healthy rose bush does get aphids, the effect on the plant is minimal.
- 3). Wash the aphids away. Look for clusters of aphids on the underside of the leaves. Forcefully spray them with the garden hose to wash them off of the plant. Once removed, aphids usually die before they can crawl back onto the plant.
- 4). Bring in ladybugs to control your aphids. Release the ladybugs near your roses on a day when rain is not in the forecast. If it rains before the ladybugs have a chance to settle in, they may not stay in your yard.
- 5). Plant garlic next to and around your roses to repel aphids.
- 6). Spray your roses with equal parts of water, dish soap and oil to help control aphids.
- 7). Spray eucalyptus oil on your roses. The oil discourages them from staying on the plant. Eucalyptus oil will not harm the roses.
