Sure.

Grab the stem lightly just below the bud (tip in the hollow of your hand) and then pull your fingers up and over the whole bud, lightly rubbing all of the aphids off as you do.

You can reduce the population quite radically by doing this a couple of times a day for a day or two.

Susan

Thank you Susan. I just finished hosing the buds down again and tomorrow will do as you suggest.

You know what's odd is I have Blanc de Coubert planted right next to it and the aphids have not touched that plant at all.

Aphids are sap suckers. Evidently they like the sap better on Grootendorst Supreme than they do on Blanc Double de Coubert.
Haven't seen an aphid in my unsprayed garden for years.
Penty of ladybugs and birds though. Guess they control the aphids.

Yeah, there's no accounting for aphids' taste in roses :-)))

My method isn't pretty, but it seems to work pretty well. There might be some deterrent value in all those squashed aphids....?????

Susan

Three points: 1)Running your hand down a thorny rugosa stem might be a painful way to kill aphids. 2) Cupping the stems in your hand while spraying them can be pretty efficient. If that's not enough, the next step up is 3) Spray hot water instead of cold water using any type of sprayer. A temperature of 130 degrees kills aphids but won't harm the rose as long as you don't dawdle in one spot.

Mike, you are only running your fingers over the bud which isn't thorny....and wearing gloves helps on many levels (mostly the grossness level....)

Susan

Instead of insecticide try a spritzer bottle with dish soap and water in it. Just spritz all the buds and new growth. It works well for me. Soap seams to dry them right up.

Soap IS an insecticide, and, according to Louise Clements of Heirloom Roses,soap is the insecticide most likely to burn a rugosa.

I use an insectiscidal soap but I have used dish soap in water (just a dab will do ya) Also my wonderful neighbour got me into Bannana peels at the base of the rose and planting merigolds as a companion. Havent had to use soap since.

My apologies, I don't have any rugosas so I did not know that soap would burn the leaves. Of course it should be avoided then.

LOL about the thorns! There are aphids on the stems right below the buds so I wore my goatskin gloves while squishing to protect my fingers since Grootendorst is thorny.
Well...I had a brain storm last night about putting the aphids to good use. My son has several small pitcher plants we started from seed 2 years ago sooo...... you can guess where some of the adult aphids went.