Naturally Getting Rid Of Aphids On Roses

Despite being arguably the single most popular garden plant in the world, growing roses can be a real pain (and we’re not talking about the thorns).

Not only are they very demanding, but garden pests also seem to find them every bit as attractive as humans do.

aphids feeding on rose budPin

Of the many pests that will attack your roses, perhaps the most common one is aphids.

As many as 30 species of aphid will attack roses, most notably Macrosiphum rosae (AKA the common rose aphid).

Aphids will hide on the undersides of leaves, piercing the foliage to drink its sap.

Their frass contains partially digested sap, known as honeydew.

The honeydew is harvested by ants as food and is a perfect breeding ground for fungi such as sooty mold.

Aphids will not only weaken the plant and possibly cause some leaf drop, but they’re a flashpoint for several secondary problems.

For this reason, getting rid of them is essential to keeping your roses healthy.

Related: Learn To Identify And Control Rust Disease On Roses

Home Remedies to Get Rid of Aphids on Roses

Roses can be sensitive to chemicals, but they’re more tolerant of many home remedies.

Here are some of the most common and effective home remedies, none of which create superbugs.

NOTE: Before Using These Remedies

Roses can be susceptible to harsh chemicals.

Even if one rosebush can tolerate treatment, the one next to it could have an allergy.

So, it is important to always test a treatment on a small part of each plant for 24 hours before full application.

If one of your roses shows signs of a reaction, try a different treatment for that plant.

Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous Earth kills bugs by lacerating their protective wax coatings and exoskeletons. It causes them to dehydrate.

You can use diatomaceous earth by dusting the leaves with it.

This works better on the ground, and the DE can be dislodged by strong winds or rendered ineffective by rain, so you will need to reapply every few days.

Essential Oils

Essential oils such as cloves, peppermint, rosemary, and thyme are great ways to repel aphids and many other pests.

To use, add 4 to 5 drops to 1 cup of water and pour into a spray bottle.

Spray the plant in the morning or evening every couple of days until the aphids are gone.

Natural Predators

A lot of beneficial insects (like Green Lacewings) will feed off of aphids and other pests.

Three common aphid hunters are lacewings, ladybugs, and parasitic wasps.

All three can be attracted to your garden with marigolds and other plants or ordered online.

Be warned that ants will protect the aphids from these predators, so you must deal with them first.

Organic Neem Oil

One of the best treatments out there, neem comes in three variations.

While neem cakes only work against ground pests, the other two forms are highly effective against aphids.

Create soil soaks with 100% percent cold-pressed raw neem oil.

The Neem soak is a systemic insecticide that can protect the roses from chewing and piercing insects for up to 22 days.

Reapply every 14 to 21 days until the infestation is gone or as a preventative.

The final form, clarified hydrophobic neem oil, is far more gentle than raw neem and has the primary chemical compound removed.

Apply a foliar spray made using 1% percent clarified neem at dusk or dawn to combat aphids.

The spray suffocates aphids on contact but requires you to soak all parts of the plant thoroughly.

Reapply every other day for 14 days or until the infestation is gone.

You can also use the spray every 14 days as a preventative.

Rubbing Alcohol

Chances are, you have some rubbing alcohol at home but haven’t thought about using it for more than aches and pains.

Yet, it’s quite an effective aphid killer when appropriately diluted.

You can do spot treatments by soaking cotton balls in 70% rubbing alcohol and dabbing the bugs directly, killing them on contact.

Or, you may choose to mix ¼ cup of rubbing alcohol and 1 cup of water in a spray bottle to create a spray treatment.

When using alcohol, ensure that you treat the rosebush on an overcast day or later in the evening. The leaves can become susceptible to sunburn for a short period after treatment.

Soap Spray

Roses are tolerant to some gentler forms of soap, but aphids aren’t

Gently stir in 4 to 5 tablespoons of Dawn dish soap, insecticidal soap, or pure castile soap into 1 gallon of water and pour into a spray bottle.

Spray down the entire plant, being sure to soak all parts evenly.

The soap will clog an aphid’s air holes on contact, causing them to suffocate.

Reapply every few days as needed.

Target the Ants

Finally, you can reduce the aphid population by going after nearby ant colonies instead.

Sprinkle DE around the plant’s base or fertilize with neem cakes to kill any ants which try to access the aphid infestation.

Not only will this allow natural predators to do their job, but it will also prevent the ants from removing any diseased aphids that can infect the rest of the colony.

Questionably Popular Methods

Of course, there are some methods out there that get a lot of unwarranted support.

These methods are either minimally effective or can do more harm to a rosebush than good.

Some of these methods include:

  • Picking/Squashing: This works if you spot a few random aphids, but it is useless against an infestation.
  • Vinegar: Vinegar can easily damage rose plants, so it’s best to reserve this treatment for less sensitive plants.
  • Water: The most useless method uses water to knock aphids off the plants without killing them. It allows them to come back or infest another nearby plant.