Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-05-19
HOW TO PROTECT
ROSE BUSHES FROM
THE ROSE APHIS
Plant Louise Sucks Sap From
Tender Portion When New
Growth Starts

When new growth starts on the rose
bushes in the spring, and throughout
the summer and fall, the young
growth and the flower buds and stems
of rose bushes are often covered with
small green or pinkish plant-louse,
known as the rose aphis, which sucks
the sap from the tender portion of the
plant and causes an unhealthy curled
condition of the foliage and disap-
pointment in the number and quail
ity of the flowers produced.
The rose aphis passes the winter in
the egg stage on the stems and DOR
mant buds of the rose bushes, accord
ing to A. ID. Hopkins, Forest Entomol-
ogist, l.. S. Department of Agriculture.
The insects Matching from these eggs
reach maturity in about | ) to 20 days,
all being wingless. They are pear
shaped and either bright green or
pinlish in color. At this stage they
begin to produce living young. each
individual in course of about 20 days
producing so to 100 young, which, on
maturity are either winged or wing
less and in turn either green or pink
lSh. Thus the tender growth soon be-
comes crowded with various sizes, col
ors and shapes of aphides, and, to in
sure their progeny with an adequate
food supply, the wingless mothers mi
CRATE to less crowded growth and the
each starting a colony for herself. In
favorable weather conditions, especial
~ in a humid atmosphere, many gen.
erations may thus follow one another,
covering every bit of green vegetation
on the bush with their bodies, their
cast skins, honeydew and the result
ing sooty fungus 1t can easily be
seen that, had every aphis produced in
the course of a season lived its full
life, the progeny of a single overwint-
ering egg would run into millions.
The presence of arts on the rose
bushes is an indication that the aphis
is present, because the ants collect the
honeydew from the .aphides and, to a
certain extent, protect the aphides
from their insect enemies. ,.
Natural Control
AS above indicated, the rose aphis
thriVes best in cloudy. humid, warm
atmosphere, hence with the appear
ance of hot and dry spell they often
disappear as, suddenly as they ap-
peared. ss... ~.
Aside from variety of causes, like
driving rains, winds, etc, which deci-
mate its numbers considera bly,, the
rose aphis is attacked by other in
sects which either devour them or
develop from eggs deposited in their
bodies. Ladybirds. 1acewing flies.
and the larvae of two-winged flies call
ed syrphus flies are among the former
and number of species of tiny wasp
like insects represent the internal, par
asites Sometimes these natural
agencies of control are sufficient to
keep the aphides so reduced in num-
bers that they do little or no harm
Notwithstanding the effectiveness of
natural checks however, their inter-
mittent character unfortunately rem
ders their help often too late to save
the flower. crop. 1t is always advis-
able, therefore, to watch rose bushes
for aphides and to apply remedies as
soon as they are discovered.
Remedies
Fortunately the rose aphis readily
succumbs to artificial methods of con-
troll, and, with the different STYLES of
spray pumps on the market, there is
no excuse for allowing roses to suffer
from these insects.
The simplest, most commonly used,
and often quite effective remedy is to
turn fine but forceful stream of
water on them by means of the garden
hose. Applied often enough this gives
satisfactory results.
Solution of fish oil or cheaper grades
of soap are often useful as a prompt
remedy. The soap is used at the
rate of | pound to 4 gallons of water.
To make the solution, shave the soap
into the water and dissolve by heating,
adding enough water afterwards to
make up for evaporation.
The best remedy for the rose aphis
lis 40 per cent nicotine sulphate "a
liquid which can be purchased in most
seed stores) diluted at the rate of one
part to 1000 to 2,000 parts of water
with fish oil soap or laundry SOAP
added at the rate of one pound to so
gallons of the spray mixture The
simplest way to prepare the spray in
small quantities and secure satisfac-
tory proportions of the ingredients il
to put one teaspoonful of the nicotine
sulphate in from i to gallons Of
water and then add one-half ounce Of
laundry soap. One spraying is usual
lily 100 per cent effective, but IL the
first application has not been thor
oughly made, second one may be
necessary.
In order to prevent the possible de-
Ivelopment of milde,v as a result Of
frequent spraying it is advisable to
make the applications in the early
morning so that the spray will drv off
the plants promptly. ~.
| The spraying device. to use, depends
or the amount of spraying necessar nv
A cheap atomizer, such as can be
bought in any seed store, is quite salts
factory for small plants and gardens
Good knapsack and barrel pumps are
available for commercial growers.
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