If slender with pointed shiny abdomens, it's a common type of beetle harmless to the roses and you. They eat pollen and nectar.

Is a photo possible?

Jeri

Earwigs? Hate them and have them.

Carla

"brownish edges and small marks "

Very likely thrips damage (the "microscopic ones.") I assure you the beetles I described are harmless. (They don't look like beetles.)

We've got earwigs here, and I hate 'em, too.
They prefer light-colored blooms.

I think they'll congregate under a half-cantaloupe rind, if you put one in the garden overnight.
(I keep forgetting to do this.)

Jeri

We get earwigs in our roses, and they're a lot bigger than 1/4 inch. Pretty unmistakable with the pincer on the back. Here's a picture from www.whatsthatbug.com, a great site for identifying the little critters. You might be able to find a picture of your bug there.

Look at Baldo the bug man's site - it's specific to roses.

I find it helpful when posters fill in their "my page" at least with a zone, what state you are in is the most helpful.

roselvr--that is a GREAT site! Thanks for the link!

You're welcome. Baldo's site used to be really popular years ago when I was a regular here. I was surprised no one else linked to it.

Is there any way to include your zone automatically, I type it in but sometimes forget. I am in southern california - inland not coastal, hot and dry summers usually 80s climbing up to 105 some days, winter nights rarely dipping below freezing, usually 40s/50s. Possibly zone 9/sunset 20?
About the bugs, I remember now seeing earwigs on roses in my area, these are not that. These are more like segmented fleas, more long than round.
How do you get rid of both earwigs and these? I know sooner or later the earwigs will appear. And thanks for the links! I'm going to check them out right now.

Maele, you are describing the harmless beetles I described in my post. There is no reason to get rid of them, just shake them out of your cut flowers. Putting insecticide in the flowers would kill bees. I wish I could remember the name of them so I could give you a link. I have been living with these critters for 30 years.

So what are they, Michael?
I'm really CURIOUS now. They don't match any of Baldo's "Good Guys."
I'm not saying they're not Good Guys, just that I don't see any segmented 1/4-in beetles there.
Unless you mean Soldier Beetles?

Jeri

Jeri, they are not beneficial predators, just harmless neutrals. As I recall, Baldo identified them on here a few years ago. They are slender, shiny, humpbacked like fleas with a tapered abdomen (often bent downward), and active.

It's probably CETONIA AURATA.

Here one, today, in my garden:

{{gwi:268915}}

No, scardan, it is not your beautiful and destructive scarab beetle-- great picture, though! The original poster is not reporting chewing damage on the flowers. She or he is reporting what sounds like thrips damage.

Here they are! And by the way, I tried shaking, they won't budge. And they can fly if they want to, but mostly they crawl around and are just nasty looking, making me realize that I am a prejudiced person. For example, I'm okay with the squirrels eating my avocados, the rats gross me out and piss me off. Spiders are fine, roaches, ecchh. Earwigs and black bugs on my roses... well, not so much.
And also, if you can see the pictures, what could be wrong with Sexy Rexy? Is it sunburn or something else?
TIA

nevermind it didnt work... here is the link to the whole album, the first 3 pics are the ones to look at.
http://s607.photobucket.com/albums/tt152/maele_photos/

Well, all I can tell from that is that, whatever they are, they don't seem to eat roses.
And they are surely not thrips. Much too big.
I'm sure Michael's right, I'd just like to know what they are.

Maele, I'm with you.
Rats MEGA gross me out.
Gophers (and we have far too many) infuriate me.
And while squirrels used to charm me, the furry little creeps have gotten way too pushy.
I sure heck hope we don't have cockroaches turn up.
And I think earwigs are creepy.

Jeri

Thanks for the pictures. They aren't close enough to say for sure, but the size and shape of the bugs are compatible with the beetles I'm talking about. I emailed Baldo, so maybe he'll either send me the name I can't remember or post here.

The smaller and more compact bug above the center of Queen Elizabeth could be a Pirate Bug. These eat thrips. Thrips are what cause the brown petal edges.

Nice roses!

Thanks Michael for the heads up on this nitidulid beetle. Maele, Michael G. is correct this beetle is a harmless beetle that is attracted by the nectar of roses. They may also feed on the pollen while there. I few years back I collected some of these beetles in Memphis as this is where I first heard of these beetles as a "pest". I gave them to a colleague of mine who is an expert on this group of beetles. When I told him that this beetle was considered a pest by some rosarians, the just laughed and told me why it could not be. My recommendation on this is that you shake the flower and get them out especially of white and light colored flowers. Also, try to cut the blooms when they are about 1/2 open just prior of exhibition stage (3/2-3/4 open). By cutting the roses 1/2 open you avoid the beetles being inside the blooms and being attracted by the nectar.

Baldo

Here is a link that might be useful: Baldo's Buggiest Website

I'll try to live with it, but just know that the little suckers are in there before the blooms are even 1/2 open, which is frustrating, and gross.

Thanks for the fabulous website link!

Here is a picture of the bug I've been referring to. See if it is the same.

Thanks to the irreplaceable Baldo for the genus name.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:268914}}

Well, ICK.
It looks like those things are after nectar, maybe, as well as pollen.
I have to agree Maele. They may be harmless, the they're ICKY.

Jeri

Hey Baldo, nice to see you posting!

ICK yes those are them! Ha, if only I could shake them off! I tried once with the bloom still on the bush, everything shook except that bug. Oh well, at least now I know what to do when the earwigs show up, so thanks Jeri, michaelg, and everyone else.

Pollen beetles are benign but (a) unsightly and (b) they certainly have harmed my roses. The blooms did not come out properly and wilted straight away. Not what you want of a patio rose! if they go for the pollen what effect does this have on bees? (I'm not a biologist)

I have these blackish/green beetles in my roses and they are nasty... How do I get rid of them... Here's a pic

Well I tried to put a pic on here

MichaelG & Rosebug >> I just found this link and I’m having the samw problems with my roses. unfortunately none of the links provided works and the actual name of the bug was never mentioned - does anyone know the name of this harmless bug?

@Cheryl Jane de Castro In his post above, Baldo (Rosebug) referred to it as a "nitidulid beetle". Commonly called "pollen beetle".