A spray of pyrethrum might do it but to the honest, I'd try a systemic insecticide. One hit sprayed over the entire plant should do it.

I was just wondering the same thing! I found these suckers have really come to like my rose bush this year and would like to know how to get rid of them without hurting the rosebush!
Thanks, Christina

I wouldn't use a systemic on edibles, especially organophosphates.

The Aphids that you knocked off with that sharp stream of water did not return, what you see is a new generation of the wee buggers that need to be knocked off too. Aphids are able to poduce live young almost as soon as they are born themselves so by the time you see one Aphid you could have 5, or more, genertions of them on your plants, most too small to see. Spray these of and in a few days more will be seen and you can knock those off.
The population of Aphids on any plant needs to be quite heavy to do any actual harm.

I certainly would not use them if there was fruit on the plant. As for roses, I go over all my bushes every winter with a lime-sulphur mix, completely covering each pruned bush and the soil and that generally clears the bushes of black-spot and most pests for most of the next spring-summer season. Once or twice only I may need to resort to a systemic mixed with a fungicide such as tryphorine, or pyrethrum. I have no shortage of lady-birds, bees or praying mantises, but sparingly is the only way.

I had a heck of a time this year with Aphids myself, and it's a new problem for me as well. I used diatomaceious earth mixed in a spray bottle. Once dry it substantially diminished the little beggars! I believe some systemics can be used as long as it is not too close to harvest. Acephate (orthenex) is very effective against Aphids although there are limitataions to how soon before harvest you can apply it.

Acephate is an organophosphate. It will stay in the plant indefinitely and while the label says no proof of any ill effects it also says no proof that there isn't any ill effects. Read the entire label before using any chemicals.