Friday, June 18, 2010
Oops! Wrong bug
I must confess. I have been blaming the Japanese Beetle for the destruction of my roses over the years. I may have to hang up my Master Gardener badge as I have misidentified the pest. The voracious destroyer of my roses and peonies is none other than the Rose Chafer. I have to appologize to fellow blogger Carolyn at Aiken House and Garden for my blunder in a recent email conversation about them destroying my peony bloom.
The Rose Chafer or Rose Curculio or Rose Weevil drills holes in the buds. I usually find a big mound of them copulating all over my blooms and having a gay old time. I give them the two finger squish that eases my frustration. My friend an fellow blogger A Garden of Threads told me that Organic Raid will work on them. I will also try my spray of neem oil, dish soap and water.
Since the Rose Chafer overwinters in the soil I will look for planting companions such at catmint, chamomile, lavender, rosemary, thyme to underplant around the roses. These plants act as a repellent.
I feel better now. I humbly apologise for my error. Valerie
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2 comments:
So, you have pests too.
Despite its name, I've never seen a rose chafer on roses but many of them on tulips and other flowers, here by us.
Thank you very much for answering to my problem with the green bug, I couldn't see any part of the plant damaged but the whole plant was dying.
Have a great weekend!
No problem Val it is hard to indenity all those pesky pests. There are sooo many eating the garden every day.
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