Help - roses with somesort of infestation ?

Question

I recently moved, the house has many large roses next to the house. The roses (blooms) are beautiful - the leaves are being riddled by some sort of bug - I would prefer to treat them organically, as opposed to chemically. I have tried a very dilute ammonia - water spray, it is helpful but it is bleaching out the siding on our house. I looked on American rose society site and I was unable to find any definite bug - I have seen a Japanese beetle or two. Any help or suggestions would be helpful. thanks

Answer 1

It is Japanese Beetles.  Now is the time of year when they feed and they like roses.  Let me tell you the problem with organics.  First one organic method known as milky spore is only effective if everybody within a 5 mile radius of you uses it so that is out of the picture.  Japanese Beetle Traps only attract more beetles to your proporty.  Then there will be method of picking them off one by one and putting them in soapy water, the problem with this is you may not get them all and there is no barrier on the plants that tells the beetles to stay away.  So you will be doing this day after day after day.  Plus soapy water is NOT organic since the active ingredient in most soaps is TRICLOSAN, a chemical.  

My point on organics is they simply aren't as effective.  And since you aren't going to eat the roses there really is no reason you can't use chemicals, they work better.  I use Ortho Bug B Gone Max on all my plants that the beetles eat, it kills them and keeps them off of the plant so you spray it once and it keeps them off the plants for weeks.  

Answer 2

If you are seeing Japanese Beetles they are most likely causing your problems.

I kept them off mine by using a quart of water with 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon oil and about 10 drops of cheap dish detergent put in spray bottle and spray. You may need to repeat the process until you don't see any more beetles.

The best time to spray would be early in the morning if possible