i inherited a very lovely rose bush when i moved into my new home. it is just starting to push out the biggest most beautiful orange flowers and we are very happy to see (AND SMELL!!!) them when we come home. however, the leaves have a strange white spottiness to them. i looked and i couldn't figure out why, but today i was looking at the new forming leaves and i noticed HUNDREDS of tiny little winged bugs attached to the bottom of the leaves. what are these bugs, are they harmful, and how can i get rid of them WITHOUT USING PESTICIDES...can i spray them with soapy water or something? as always, thank you and i hope you all have a wonderful day!!!
sounds like aphids - an extremely common problem with roses (they just love them!). you can use the hose to blast them off...and more will be back soon. spray with an inscecticidal soap and that should get rid of what's there and deter new ones - you'll have to respray in a week or so (especially if it rains).
just an update my green thumbed friends...the aphids are gone, thanks more to the attention i gave the leaves than anything else. every day i would run my fingers up the tastiest new leaves and "shooed" them away (and i suspect i killed some of the poor buggies in the process). after a few days/weeks of this vigilant effort, they are effectively gone, and the leaves are bright shiny and have no "holes" in them. sure beats the heck out of insecticide!!!
