Roses can be quite frail and susceptible to their environment. Amateur gardeners often have trouble keeping the bushes healthy because of poor soil, bad trimming, or the ever-present pests that are attracted to the blooms.
It’s important to know your enemy. When it comes to roses, the Japanese beetle hasn’t been a threat for long. While they are native to Japan, most ecologists believe the beetles arrived in the United States around 1912 in a shipment of iris bulbs. They then spread quickly, reproducing and resulting in the modern ecological issue seen today.
As the name suggests, the Japanese beetle is a beetle characterized by an iridescent brown and green shell. They are known to prey on over 300 different plants, but roses are their favorite food.
There are natural and synthetic (chemical) methods to eliminate the beetles that roost and feast on roses. One of the most effective options for amateur and professional gardeners alike is the use of a pesticide that attacks Japanese beetles while they are grubs.
One of the most important things to do is to avoid the use of common household products in your rose garden. Roses are delicate flowers, and using dryer sheets or laundry detergent around them is likely to cause decay and death from chemical exposure.
Japanese beetles can be a vicious threat to your rose garden, especially if you have never encountered them before and begin the season unprepared. After all, the most effective method to deal with these pests is to plan ahead and spread an insecticide around your rose bushes before the beetle season begins.