I discovered some aphids yesterday too.

I did the gentle water blast.

I was going to say, what's wrong with a couple water blasts from the hose? Except I say "vigorous" water blasts. Between that and my fingers swiping gently over the buds, the aphids usually disappear by the end of the week.

But, of course, it will have to warm up here before I need to worry about aphids. For the present, I'm just worried whether my 20 newly planted blue pansies will survive a week or two of nightly freezing temps! Those blue pansies look soooooo good in front of that narrow bed of roses--come May, that is!

Kate

What Kate and Kippy said - just use the hose. If you are lucky you might get a flock of those teenie tiny little grey birds come in - they come to my garden every Spring, and eat all of the aphids!

Jackie

Yup.
Using any pesticide to control aphids is self-defeating. You'll kill the aphids, and spread a welcoming pathway for spider mites.

Between the two, I'll take aphids ANY day.

Just wash 'em off with a gardenhose. Do it 2-3 times, if necessary. It's a pleasant task on a warm day, and as a bonus, you'll wash dust and debris off the foliage.

Jeri

I usually just wipe them off with my fingers but for a really bad infestation the hose is quicker and easier. I use a pretty hard spray though to make sure I get them off. It doesn't seem to hurt the roses at all.

The citrus guys told me that as long as the ants hang around, the predators of aphids will have a hard time. The ants defend the aphids because the aphids produce something that the ants want. He suggested a pet safe ant bait. Society garlic has also been helpful to keep aphids away as well as planting alyssum for the immature lady bugs until they are big enough to eat aphids. Planting small nectar producing flowers like alyssum has helped one apple grower substantially reduce his wooly apple aphid population that was threatening his orchard.

Spraying with water always helps.

I haven't seen many aphids so far this spring but haven't been outside yet this morning. Will probably spray with water if they are present today. I avoid using chemicals as I think there is a nice balance in the garden now--lots of lizards and some insect is sustaining them, not sure what.

One of the problems in dealing with them with water is that the ONLY thing I have on the end of the hose is a bubbler, I don't have a power end, the last one broke. I have a Bug Blaster on order with Lee Valley Tools, and it's coming in a week or so. In the mean time.... The aphids secrete 'honey' that the ants eat, that I do know. And I've seen some ants on one or two of the roses. And we've seen ants around the house (seasonal), and I've set out ant bait, so hopefully that will help deal with the situation.

I DO have questions for all you knowledgeable folk - once you knock the aphids off the plants, and they theoretically land on the ground, what happens to them then? Do they stay there and die? Do they climb back up again? They didn't spontaneously appear on my roses, even if it appears that they did, they come from somewhere... Where?! Where do aphids winter, so I can do something about that?

You really, really do not need to worry about aphids. I know they look scary when in masses, but they are truly not a problem. If I were you, I would unscrew the bubbler from the end of your hose, and use a finger on the open hose end to make it squirt hard - the old fashioned way. To answer one of your questions, my understanding is that, once squirted off the rose, they cannot climb back up.

In addition to birds, aphids are eaten by ladybugs and their larva, very very GOOD BUGS! So, if you are lying awake at night worrying about the aphids, you might want to go to your local nursery and purchase some lady bugs to put on your roses. I don't think it is necessary, but it won't hurt your roses, or the bees, or other good bugs, or the birds in your garden.

Jackie

I've suddenly got them now in droves too and use both methods, squishing them with my fingers and directing a blast of water at them, which also washes off that sticky stuff on the leaves that I gather the ants secrete. Whatever I miss I'm sure the birds will take care of.

I'm not positive but I believe that aphids arrive on the wind. They don't fly themselves so once knocked off they cannot climb back up.

Everything I've read up on about them says they are winged at some points in their life cycle, although they do drift on the wind for many miles at times. Also, it says aphids seriously damage some plants, but I also see that aphids do NOT damage roses... And I have to say, the tips of the roses where the aphids are the worst and thickest do not look undamaged, nor do the roses that eventually open. I am SO confused.

Re Jacqueline's suggestion that I make it spray the old fashioned way - I would, but it makes my fingers hurt (arthritis) and I'm not that desperate yet...

It did not take much water pressure to knock them off my roses, I had aphids on a couple of bands so I was being gentle. I just sprayed them gently a couple of times and aphids were gone.

Aphids can stunt some roses. They are like tribbles being almost born pregnant.

Multigenerationally pregnant! No fair!!!

If you're REALLY trying to talk yourself into using a spray rather than a hose -- consider that, if you DO spray, you'll get rid of the RELATIVELY harmless and easily-eradicated aphids. BUT you will open the door to spider mites. Those devils DO damage roses, and they are what's more FAR harder to eradicate.

The more years we are away from spraying, the more ladybugs, birds, and lizards live here. And the fewer aphids. There are probably some here, SOMEWHERE, but not so's you'd notice.

Jeri