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There is nothing more frustrating to the rose loving gardener than this nasty pest from the land of the rising sun known as the Japanese beetle. A beautiful rose bed one day can be turned into a field of tears in just moments by an attack of these garden bullies. Lets look at some ways on how to control Japanese beetles on roses.
Beetles That Devour Roses – How To Stop Them
Roses are beautiful, fragrant flowers that can brighten up any garden. However, these prized plants often fall victim to hungry beetles that can quickly defoliate and damage rose bushes. If left unchecked, beetles can even kill rose plants by destroying the roots, leaves, buds, and blooms.
As a rose gardener, it’s important to be familiar with the most common beetle pests so you can take action before they wreak havoc in your garden In this article, we’ll look at 12 of the most problematic beetles that feast on roses and explore solutions for getting rid of them naturally and safely
What Beetles Are Attracted to Roses?
There are around 400,000 different species of beetles worldwide that occupy a diverse range of habitats. Many are beneficial insects, but some are also serious pests for gardens and agricultural crops.
Beetles are attracted to roses as they provide a tasty source of food. Different beetles target specific parts of the plant:
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Scarab beetles and rose chafers eat the flowers, buds, and petals.
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Weevils drill into tightly closed buds and eat the center.
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Flea beetles and leaf beetles chew holes in leaves.
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Root feeding beetles like rose curculio larvae damage underground roots and stems.
12 Common Rose-Eating Beetle Pests
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most problematic beetles that can be found feeding on rose bushes:
Japanese Beetle
The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) is an extremely destructive non-native pest in North America. Adults attack the flowers and skeletonize the leaves, while the larvae feed on roots below ground.
Rose Chafer
Several chafer species target roses, including the rose chafer (Macrodactylus subspinosus) in North America and the European rose chafer (Cetonia aurata). They rapidly eat flower petals.
Grapevine Beetle
The grapevine beetle (Pelidnota punctata), also known as the spotted pelidnota, consumes flowers, buds, and fruits of grapes, roses, and other plants.
Fuller Rose Beetle
Fuller rose beetles (Asynonychus godmani) devour leaves, flowers, and roots. Their larvae are called rose curculio and feed underground on roots.
Flea Beetles
Tiny flea beetles like the rose flea beetle (Halticinae) chew small holes and pits in rose leaves, damaging their appearance.
Scarab Beetles
Scarab beetles like ten-lined June beetles (Polyphylla decemlineata) and green June beetles (Cotinis nitida) feed on rose petals and foliage.
Weevils
Rose weevils (Merhynchites bicolor) drill inside tightly closed rose buds and eat flowers before they can bloom.
Leaf Beetles
The spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata) is one leaf beetle species that consumes cucurbits and roses.
Rootworms
Northern corn rootworms (Diabrotica barberi) and southern corn rootworms (D. undecimpunctata howardi) feed on roots both as larvae and adults.
Chafer Beetles
Garden chafers (Phyllopertha horticola) skeletonize leaves while the larvae damage underground roots and stems.
Click Beetles
Click beetles like the eyed click beetle (Alaus oculatus) feed on flowers at night and hide in the soil by day.
Banded Cucumber Beetle
This pest (Diabrotica balteata) eats leaves, flowers, stems, and roots of crops like cucumbers and roses.
How To Control Beetles on Roses
The key to protecting your roses from beetle damage is taking action early before their populations explode. Here are some effective organic methods:
Handpick beetles – Go out in the morning and handpick any beetles you find on plants and drop them into soapy water. Be persistent.
Apply neem oil – Neem oil disrupts beetles’ hormones and deters feeding. Spray leaves including the undersides.
Use row covers – Cover plants with fine mesh fabric row covers to create a physical barrier against beetles.
Attract natural predators – Welcome birds, ladybugs, lacewings, ground beetles, and other beneficial insects that prey on beetles.
Apply kaolin clay – This natural white mineral powder deters beetles from landing and eating plants.
Employ traps – Lure beetles into pheromone traps, colored sticky traps, or dish soap and water traps.
Encourage healthy soil – Boost beneficial nematodes by building soil organic matter to combat rootworms.
Control grubs – Use milky spore bacteria or parasitic nematodes to kill beetle grubs in the soil.
Use flea beetle tape – Special flea beetle tape wrapped around stems deters leaf beetles from climbing up.
Boost plant health – Healthy, vigorous rose bushes can better withstand and recover from beetle damage.
When beetles are already established, insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, spinosad, and Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) are some of the least toxic chemical options that can help reduce their numbers. But focus on prevention first through cultural methods like sanitation and exclusion.
With persistence and an integrated pest management approach, you can defend your roses against destructive beetles. Don’t let them take the beauty and joy out of growing roses! Stay vigilant and take action at the first signs of beetle activity to protect your flowers.
How to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles on Roses
I have read about various methods to try to control and be rid of them from covering all the roses with a tight woven mesh netting to hanging Bounce dryer sheets in the rose bushes. After all the reading I have done about Japanese beetles and rose damage, it appears that one of the best ways to attack them is a two pronged approach. At the very first signs of any Japanese beetles entering your area, not even necessarily your rose beds or gardens, buy a product called Milky Spore. This spore is eaten by the Japanese Beetle Grubs and has a bacterium that kills the grubs. Upon killing the grubs, even more of the milky spore is generated, thus helping to kill even more grubs. This method can take three to four years to spread enough through the garden areas, depending upon the size of the garden, to make the impact desired on these bullies. If going this route, it is extremely important to use an insecticide to kill the adult beetles that will not kill the grubs as well. Killing the grubs that eat the milky spore slows up or stops the spread of the milky spore and, thus, can negate its impact upon the beetles you are trying to gain control over. Even if your rose beds are heavily under attack, the milky spore seems worth a try. Spraying and killing the adult beetles prior to them laying their eggs to start the cycle all over again is of great importance as well. The use of products called Sevin or Merit to spray are a couple of University Test Lab listed choices, being careful to keep the spray application high to mid range of the bush and not directly on the ground or base of the bush. Move quickly with the spraying so as not to get a lot of over spray or dripping onto the ground below. Another choice of insecticide might be one called Safer BioNeem, which has shown some real promise in control. There are some plants that seem to repel the Japanese beetles, perhaps adding some of these plants in and around the rose bushes would be to your advantage as well. These include:
How Not to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles on Roses
I do not recommend that anyone use the Japanese beetle traps that are on the market though. You may well be calling more than you currently have into your rose beds or gardens by using them. If you really want to use them, I would place them at the far end of your property and far away from anything they can damage. Research that was conducted at the University of Kentucky indicated that the Japanese beetle traps attract several more beetles than are caught in the traps. Thus, the rose bushes and plants along the flight path of the beetles and in the same area of the traps placement are very likely to incur much more damage than if no traps are used.
How to Control Japanese Beetle
FAQ
How do I get rid of beetle bugs on my rose bushes?
You can use a soap spray ( mix 1/2 teaspoon mild dish soap and 1 teaspoon cooking oil in a one-quart sprayer filled with water). Spray liberally over the whole plant. You can also release ladybugs on the affected plants. They’ll stay as long as there’s shelter and bugs to eat on.
What kind of beetle eats roses?
Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) feed during the day and are perhaps the most readily recognized beetle pests that feed on roses.
How to get rid of Hoplia beetles on roses?
Another proposed solution to reducing numbers of the Hoplia beetle is to place white buckets filled with dilute soapy water (like a few drops of dish soap) around your more susceptible plants. The idea is that the beetles will be attracted to the color and fall in where they will drown.
What is the best beetle killer for roses?
Sevin Insect Killer Lawn Granules even take control over lawn grubs from rose pests, too. With products from the Sevin brand line of insecticides, you can feel confident about handling rose pests and pest control — and get back to watching your roses fulfill their potential.