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need2seegreen

my first time with sawflies, what to do? warning: icky photos

hi!


I think this year has been the first time my little container rose ever had sawflies. I'd never heard of them.


Well the little things are hitting the plant hard. I think it has been several generations now. I took this photo in late January. The situation is worse now, it has only a few leaves.


I am not able to work on this plant much. (Just as background, it lives in a balcony that gets very hot. I have it a couple feet off the ground, which I think helps a bit, and it's under an umbrella now. It is also in severe need of a repot.)


I'm trying to figure out what to try first. On the positive side, I keep watering and feeding it, and it isn't giving up.


I have basically no experience with pesticides, or neem oil, or anything. This balcony is several floors up, which may or may not have to do with why it seems like I don't see many beneficial bugs. (But, I'm not out there much.) (I did see a really big mantis the other day. I'll have to see if the pics came out. It was cool.) Normally there are aphids, but they don't do damage this bad.


Ideally, I could do a repot combined with a thorough coating of ... _____ ? To try and knock them out of the picture. (I've done a bit of handpicking them off - but again, I'm not able to put in the time on that.)


I am williing to try marigolds too, I like them anyway.


What about timing, though? Are these bugs going to slow down in the winter? (Though, maybe the plant won't make it that long.) Would it be easier to evict them then?


I do not like these bugs one bit. They are not reasonable.




Comments (11)

  • 2 months ago

    Here is the mantis (I think). He barely moved at all, I only noticed his abdomen - and then eventually, I saw the rest of him. He was on a honeysuckle (which hasn't bloomed this year).








  • 2 months ago

    Someone may come along with better advice, but if I had a sawfly problem and was unable to hand remove them I would probably start with insecticidal soap spray or spinosad. I try to do the least toxic interventions first. For longer term control you might look into beneficial nematodes for the soil. I am uncertain if they could help in this case but they and other predatory insects have worked miracles in my garden. I have used DMV Beneficials and they do free consultations. Arbico Organics and Nature's Good Guys are other options but I don't have direct experience with them.

    Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal) thanked claudia_dm_8a7b
  • 2 months ago
    last modified: 2 months ago

    Blast first with plain water from a hose. Or is it small enough to stand it in the shower? Plus hand picking if it's just one rose in a pot.

    Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal) thanked floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
  • 2 months ago

    Timewise I found it easier to check the plant daily and either hose off larvae or flick them into a bowl of soapy water than dealing with the adult sawflies. The larvae can do a lot of damage in a short amount of time (days). 1-2 years was enough to break the cycle and eliminate sawflies from my plants.

    Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal) thanked Design Fan (NE z7a)
  • 2 months ago

    Thanks, everyone!!


    I saw the plant yesterday and I'm going to have intervene quickly - I think some other bugs have moved in. It has very few leaves left (though, they don't look chewed at least so I guess the sawflies have gone) and there were some very fine spider webs. I hope the mantis comes back.


    I think I'll medivac it to where I can keep a daily eye on it. I'll do a repot with a thorough wash, and probably coat it in something. And then cross my fingers.


    I guess I'll need to keep it away from other plants, too. Hmm. Maybe I'll leave it where it is on second thought, but do the treatments.

  • last month
    last modified: last month

    Good luck with your plant. What I do is check the undersides of the leaves, and if there is a larva, I fold the leaf over the bug and squish.

    Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal) thanked rosecanadian
  • last month

    Go get a spray bottle of Captain Jack's Bug Brew.... spinosad. It should kill sawflies. You might have to spray daily. Certified for organic gardening.

    -Babka

    Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal) thanked Babka NorCal 9b
  • 25 days ago

    Hmmmm...black roots, I've never seen that with top having nice growth. I have no idea. I'm sorry you had to lose a rose (I've lost countless, lol); but as you said, you get to shop for a new rose!! That's the fun part.


  • 24 days ago

    Need, That sounds like an overwatered rose that the roots rotted, or roots that cooked to death in the heat.

  • 24 days ago

    Okay, that makes sense. Always learning.

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