Spring is the time when our gardens are bursting into life, and it is a time of vigorous growth for our roses. Unfortunately, our gardens are home to a lot of insects, and just as we love roses, so it seems a number of these insects do to! However, not all insects are our enemies, some are very beneficial and should be encouraged. The ones that create havoc in your garden are the ones you like to get rid of or minimize. This article will talk about the most common rose pests and how you can deal with them.

It's almost impossible to have a garden with no rose pests, especially aphids. These insects love new growth, so daily inspection is recommended to avoid infestation. The small, pear-shaped greenish brown aphids congregate on new leaves and flower buds. They tap into the plants and suck the juices from them, causing damage and distorted growth. A really bad infestation can eventually cause your roses to dry out.  They secrete a sticky sugary substance called honeydew which attracts ants which feed on beneficial insects, further complicating problems.

To effectively treat them, simply blast your roses a hose or spray with soapy water. Spray with non-toxic insecticidal soaps available at your nursery. It's smart to purchase this product while shopping for roses.

An organic method to kill aphids is rhubarb spray: Cut 1lb of rhubarb leaves, place in an old saucepan with 2pts water and boil for half an hour. When cool, dissolve 1 spoonful of soap flakes in half a pint of warm water and add to the rhubarb mixture. This mixture and the rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid which kills the insects, but is quite toxic, so keep away from children and animals.

The natural enemy of the aphid is the Lady bug, so look after them!

Japanese beetles are a voracious pest which can do huge amounts of damage if left unchecked. The adults are about half an inch long with metallic greenish wings. They usually travel in groups, or swarms, so if you see one there are lot more of them.

The easiest way to deal with japanese beetles is to pick them off by hand and drop them in a bucket of soapy water. Do not squash them as this seems to attract more japanese beetles from all around.

Japanese beetles lay their eggs in lawns where the larvae will develop undetected before turning into the rose-eating adults which do so much damage, so be sure to go after their larvae by treating your lawn, where they live before turning into beetles that attack your roses.

To treat your lawn: use Milky Spore or Parasitic Nematodes.

As the name suggests, these pests resemble tiny spiders. They may be almost invisible to the human eye, but the damage they do will be easy enough to spot. First signs are small spider webs or white speckling on the upper surface of the leaves. The mites congregate on the underside of leaves and suck the sap from them, causing the leaves to turn yellow with a slivery sheen. These leaves will often drop off. If you check the undersides of leaves you may also be able to spot the webs of the mites.

These tiny insects can rapidly build up to great numbers in the right conditions, making them a very destructive pest. They ruin foliage and heavy attacks can even kill plants. Hot dry dusty conditions lead to spider-mite problems.

Wash them off with a hose. Sprays with pyrethrum, derris or soft soap sprays are the best option for organic gardeners. They will need to be applied every 5-7 days in summer on both the upper and lower sides of the leaves.

For Organic gardeners, Rhubarb Spray is extremely effective against red spider mites, just as it is against the aphid.

To prevent insect pests from infesting your roses, check your plants often (daily is best).  As I have mentioned before, an ounce of prevention.... The healthier your roses are and the more diligent you are, the less problems with rose diseases you will have.