What Does Aphid Damage on Rose Buds Look Like?

Aphid Damage

• Aphids suck up the sap from rose buds, canes and leaves. Leaves inflicted with aphid damage display yellowing, curling and distortion, according to the University of California. Also, aphids may stunt the growth of rose buds or cause deformities in the buds. Moderate aphid damage is hard to recognize. However, these pests quickly reproduce during the growing season. In fact, adult aphids produce up to 80 offspring in a week, according to the University of California. Gardeners may see severe damage to their rose buds in a matter of weeks.

Honeydew

• Aphids cause damage to rose buds by secreting a substance called honeydew. Honeydew sticks to anything that is crossed by the aphid. In addition to honeydew covering rose buds, fungal spores that cause sooty mold attache themselves to honeydew. You may see your entire rose plant covered in a powdery sooty-looking substance. Excessive sooty mold prevents rose leaves from absorbing adequate sunlight that it needs for photosynthesis. Furthermore, other pests are attracted to aphid's honeydew.

Ants

• Gardeners may see an increase of ant traffic on their rose buds. Ants enjoy eating aphid's honeydew. In return for the honeydew, ants offer aphids rides on their backs to other areas and protect aphids from their natural predators. To find out if aphids have infested your rose buds, look for long lines of ants coming and going. You may place a sticky material around your rose plants to see if it collects ants that are invading your garden.

Other Considerations

• If aphids are currently causing damage to your rose buds, spray the plants in the morning with a strong stream of water. Water can knock off both aphids and sooty mold. If symptoms such as sooty mold still persist, you know that aphids have not left your rose garden. To kill aphids, spray your rose plants with an insecticidal soap. Place ant bait around your rose plants to eliminate an ant problem.