Try spraying them with a mixture of dawn liquid soap (a few drops) and water. This also works on Japanese beetles - another major pest!

Since you just sprayed with the Bayer product, your worries are practically over. In the next couple days the aphids will be essentially gone, but I would follow up with at least two more, every two week sprays, to eliminate any possible resurgence, as well as keep over wintering aphid issues to a minimum.

Moses.

Bellarosa, I was afraid it was too hot (high 80’s and low 90’s) to try the dawn?

Moses, I had used the Bayer on Aug. 24th, Sept. 5th, and Sept. 16th.

I have bought lady bugs earlier in the summer and they ate all aphids very fast.

Kentucky, try spraying late in the day, say after 5pm. Good luck!

I'm sorry to hear about the aphids. I haven't really experienced that, but have had some spider mites. Hopefully, with the rain those will disappear. BTW, what's the gorgeous rose?

/

Vaporvac, Since we finally got some rain today, I was thinking same thing that the aphids would go. The red rose, thinking Daddy Frank? Thank you. I cut these yesterday:

The aphids seemed to be worse on the mini’s and minflora’s.

Bartbart, thrips were awful this year. Maybe that is why there’s so many aphids. Last week a friend told me that she was going to give her sister her wisteria (earlier in season), but she saw it was loaded with thrips and didn’t take it.

Aphids prevent thrips?? That’s new to me, Bart. I’ll have to check this out some more.

Same here - I never knew that aphids prevent thrips. They were awful this year!

Update: We got rain yesterday. The aphid infestation still bad.

Lady bugs eat aphids. You need them, not spraying.

Kentucky Rose,

Are you certain that you applied the Bayer product correctly?

1 tablespoon insecticide per gallon of water, sprayed on well hydrated bushes. Avoid spraying in sunshine, better to spray late or early, or when cloudy. Spray until the foliage just begins to drip. Spray all upper leaf surfaces thoroughly and leaf under sides as best you can. The Bayer product is systemic, and translaminar movement to kill aphids sucking the leaf undersides is excellent. So the aphids, after three good sprays (good schedule you kept), should be history!

I am befuddled by your dilemma! I don't know what to tell you.

It goes without saying though, that you grow beautiful roses as is demonstrated by your photos of your resplendent cut blooms.

Moses.

Sheila, I water hose sprayed late afternoon today hoping to knock them off.

Moses, I have over 100 bushes and spray bottom up, Ty for the rose compliment. I have noticed the problem is worse on my miniatures and minifloras. The foliage and old blooms showing in the bucket was Conundrum. Here’s mostly HT’s that I cut today:

Everything goes after miniature and mini-flora roses. Black spot and spider mites are brutal on them here in the 'Burgh. I did find a mini, Sunblaze Dragon Fruit, that is just about black spot free...a rarity among minis. The new, True Bloom True Love, from Ping Lim, is a beautiful, vigorous, heavy petaled, red mini-flora, and is just about black spot proof. These two roses are both still susceptible to spider mites and aphids, unfortunately, but do not defoliate from the ravages of black spot. A full panoply of healthy, green leaves gives them extra strength to trudge along in spite of mites and aphids.

Moses.

Someone at Bierkreek told me that aphids prevent thrips, though sadly I can't prove my statement with on-line evidence. But I can tell my own experience.

As a totally inexperienced gardener, I fell for the whole stuff about spraying for bugs,and that aphids are horrid and can spread disease. I had tons of them-all over my roses, and my roses looked healthy and great and the flowers were perfect. But "the experts" said to spray, so I did,using a systemic insecticide. The aphids were quickly killed off. The next season, I had no aphids, but my flowers were devasted by thrip damage. What's more, the beetles (oxythyrea funesta,native to Europe. They are disgusting things that stink and eat the stamens of roses, totally ruining the flowers) started coming in droves; they are very hard and tough and spraying did not affect them in the least. So I think I ruined the delicate balance of Nature by using that systemic insecticide.

At the time, Paul Zimmerman had a great rose forum-my first!-and the people at Bierkreek participated regularly on the forum,since Mr Z wanted to encourage healthy, non-toxic approaches to rose gardening. It was then that Bierkreek advised me: "do NOT spray anything",and also mentioned how aphids help combat thrips.

It took several years for my garden to revive. I slowly managed to reduce the beetle population using pherormone traps,screening, etc- the weather cooperated, too; there were a couple of rainy,grey Mays , and that also was a huge help,since the beetles thrive in hot sun (May is their peak season). Gradually I started seeing some aphids again,and the thrip problem basically disappeared.

So now I'm MUCH happier, not having to spray poison around. I DID spray some non-toxic organic things that are supposed to help re-inforce the plants' natural defenses (Rocksil, and an anti-fingal product made of micorrhyza (sp?),and I'm happy with the results.

Bartbart, I guess it’s all about balance, but right now some of the mini’s seem to be struggling from the aphid infestation. I noticed last year that I had this problem and chose to ignore it. The mini’s were damaged and this year haven’t totally recovered. Now they’re hit again. The leaves are tiny, lack of abundance of blooms, and if blooms, short stems. I use to make mini arrangements. They were so cute! This is one from past years.

I don't think aphids prevent thrips. Show me some scientific evidence. Diane

I was inspired by my trip to England to plant a number of new-to-me roses, including a Scarlet Moss rose from High Country Roses. It is adorable - dark red blooms, fuzzy thorns, very small, and 100% no disease or insect damage in my no-spray garden. First time ever I can say that, especially about a mini rose, so I can definitely recommend this one if anyone wants a disease free red mini. I will report back on winter hardiness in the spring…🦋

Diane, my aphids weren’t bad this spring. I’m wondering if this is a new fall species cause I’ve only noticed this much infestation in the last 2 years.

Marcie, I sure hope it isn’t winter tender. Sweet Delight (HT) is one of my favorite new roses this year and I am hoping it survives the winter.

I ordered anouabout 500 ladybugs for a few

dollars and years later the aphids have never come back. they were amazing!

Cambel, that’s amazing. Do you spray?

@kentucky_rose zone 6 - Scarlet Moss rose is supposed to be hardy to Zone 4, and I will give it winter protection…but we get some pretty intense winds here off Lake Champlain in the fall and winter, so fingers’ crossed…this will be my second winter here but the first winter for my new roses 🦋

Marcie, let us know how the new roses winterover. Maybe the winter won’t be rough and your bushes tolerate it fine.