| I have a huge number of small green bugs all over the canes of my hybrid tea roses and wanted to know the best to get rid of them. |
| . I expect you've discovered your first colony of aphids. Aphids are soft-bodied insects that suck the juices out of plant tissues. They especially like tender new growth, (both leaves and flower buds) and are quite fond of roses. Wash the aphids off with a strong stream of water from the hose, and spray them off every time you see them. If you have a large enough population of aphids, eventually you'll attract beneficial insects that will feed upon the aphids. Lady Bugs are good garden allies and will eat hundreds of aphids. There are certain wasps that feed on aphids, as well. The best thing for you to do is provide lots of different kinds of flowers, that bloom at different times, so beneficial insects will want to live in your garden. In the meantime, hose those aphids off your roses before they do significant damage. |
