During our rose growing season, I have featured monthly articles on garden bugs – mostly the kind of bugs we want to remove from our gardens. As the season ends, I thought I would switch to writing about the beneficial insects that I have added to my garden this season to control aphids, spider mites andContinue reading “Green Lacewings in the Rose Garden”
Category Archives: Insects & Diseases
Leafhoppers in the Rose Garden
When Wisconsin rosarians talk about bug concerns in their garden, that conversation is frequently about spider mites, aphids or Japanese beetles. After eliminating pesticides in my garden for the past two years, I have observed a few different “bugs” in my garden. I am not sure if my new interest in bugs is making me more observantContinue reading “Leafhoppers in the Rose Garden”
Thrips in the Rose Garden
When we talk about “thrip damage” in southeast Wisconsin, most individuals are referring to the brown discoloration seen on lighter colored rose petals. Move the petals around and you may also see tiny insects darting among the petals. Most likely, you are seeing the adult Western Flower Thrip, a member of the order Thysanoptera, that containsContinue reading “Thrips in the Rose Garden”
Japanese Beetles
by Diane Sommers, Master Rosarian No series on rose bugs would be complete without a discussion on Japanese Beetles. Japanese beetles have been a significant problem in our rose gardens for years. I first saw these pests while on an Indiana garden tour during an ARS National Convention. I was so glad they were notContinue reading “Japanese Beetles”
Dragonflies
Between the Leaves – A Closer Look at Garden Bugs By Diane Sommers As I began to plan for my series of articles on “bugs”, I had penciled in Green Lacewings for our June newsletter. That changed while walking through the garden recently as I spied my first Dragonfly of the season. With their brilliant colors andContinue reading “Dragonflies”
Sawfly Larvae
By Diane Sommers The skeletonizing of rose leaves is often an indication that Sawfly larvae, aka rose slugs, are present in the garden. As damage begins, look at the underside of the leaf for small light green caterpillar-like insects. Sawflies are part of the diverse order of Hymenoptera which includes ants, bees and wasps. Sawflies are nonstinging waspsContinue reading “Sawfly Larvae”
Aphids
Between the Leaves – A Closer Look at Garden Bugs By Diane Sommers, Master Rosarian One of the first insects to appear on new rose growth in the spring is the aphid. Aphids on our roses are generally green or red brown in color. These aphids are part of the Aphididae family which consists of overContinue reading “Aphids”
