Simple Ways to Deal With Pests For Rose Bush Care

For a lot of gardeners, botanists and rose grower enthusiasts, one of the biggest frustrations in the garden are the pests. These pests can be anything from an insect or a small mammal or even a bird. Pests are the bane of anyone who wants to keep a great looking rose garden. Rose bush care becomes a hundred times more difficult the moment your garden becomes infested with pests because not only will you have to increase the surveillance in your garden, you will also have to look for ways to pest-proof your garden. Here are some simple ways to make sure your garden is pest-resistant, if not outright pest proof:

Keep the Distance - An easy way to maintain quality rose bush is by making sure that whatever pests infests one rose bush cannot easily infest another. By making sure that there is enough space between rose bushes, not only are you giving your garden a more organized and spacious look, you will also make sure that whatever pests, especially crawling and wriggling pests, are not able to easily transfer themselves from one rose bush to another.

Set up Nets or Barriers - They say that prevention is better than the cure, and it applies to pests as well. It is better to just focus on rose bush prevention than to spend your time worrying about pest extermination as well. Even before pests move in, try setting up physical deterrents such as a fine-mesh net. This is enough to keep out larger, flying insects from getting into your plants. This is also effective against birds. For larger mammals such as rats and mice, a wire barrier around the rose bushes will usually be enough to keep them away.

Traps and/or Baits are the Key - You can also deal with pests by placing traps near your rose bushes. Many pests (especially aphids) are attracted to yellow, so placing a yellow sticky trap near your rose bushes will be able to capture a lot of these little buggers. You can also use hole traps for crawling or soil-borne insects.

Use botanical insecticides - Say you are at the point where you cannot take the insect pest population anymore, and you are forced to resort to using insecticides. Try to refrain from using chemical pesticides as much as possible, because it kills beneficial insects as well, such as spiders and bees that are essential to your rose bushes. Use natural insecticides instead, so that the ingredients are both nature friendly and biodegradable. One simple mix is using water and smashed pieces of red chili. Spray this mixture around the base of the plant, and on the leaves and petals.

Constant Attention is the Key - The problem with pests is not in that they are annoying, it is that they are usually not noticed until they pose a serious problem to your rose bushes. Always be attentive to your garden, and start taking note about the average insect population. Also, notice the leaves and petals. If they are wilted, chewed up or have other symptoms of the same, then you probably have pests.

Always keep in mind these five simple tips in getting rid of pests in your garden. True, it is a good and easy task (especially with the right chemicals) but the risks of using chemical pest repellents outweigh the good.

Nicola Fairmount is a rose bush care expert. For more information on rose bush care, visit http://www.roseplantingsecret.com.