Just aphids, not really much of a problem. They build up in every garden between pruning time and the first flush, they they usually thin out to barely noticeable. I spray any heavy concentrations with 1 tsp Ivory Liquid per quart, growth tips only. They turn black the following day.

The white spots are aphid husks, either shed by growing aphids or mummified by predators.

Hrm. I've lost leaves to aphids before, but this is the first time I've seen them attack a stalk. I hope it recovers... this rose is young enough that I'm not going to get many blooms out of it... anyway, thanks for the identification help!

- -Chris

Having massacred the aphids (with tobacco infusion, actually, hope I didn't hit any beneficials...), I'm pleased to report that the cane, with the flow of vital fluids restored, resumed an upright posture. Hopefully the bud, too, will open.

Aphids. A sharp water spray will work to knock the buggers off the plant, however since ther are probably 5 or more generations of aphids already present (aphids start to produce live young almost as soon as they are born) you will need to repeat this every 5 days. Even if you use an insecticidal soap spray you will need to respray about every 5 days.
Tobacco is no longer acceptable for organic gardeners to use and has not been for about 25 years, in spite of what Americas MAster Gardener has to say about its use.

Tobacco is no longer acceptable for organic gardeners to use and has not been for about 25 years, in spite of what Americas MAster Gardener has to say about its use.

Why not... ? And in terms of certified-organic or just generally considered a bad practice?

--Chris

Tobacco is a nuclear bomb when a single rifle shot from a sniper will do. Might as well be using Sevin or Diazanon or other inorganic insecticide. In additon, the strength of such homebrews can be highly variable, and nicotine is quite dangerous to humans right here right now, not to mention down the road it's a cancer causing agent. It can cause heart palpatations and death and is readily absorbed in through the skin. "Organic" DOES NOT equate to "safe". SOme of the most deadly substances on the planet are "organic."

All right, but my understanding is that of the soaps, only the animal-fat based ones are useful insecticidally. As a vegetarian, this is unacceptable to me... so, what should I use? My understanding is that neem oil is similarly broad-spectrum, and I'm not clear if that's an animal or a plant product.

(What I really want to do is kill on contact without leaving residual poison, and I do recognize that the tobacco is probably leaving residual poison. Also needs to be kept carefully away from my tomatoes...)

Of course, I can live with aphids on leaves, it's just when they swarm the stem in numbers large enough to make it keel over that I start thinking sprays... and a jet of water won't do it unless I apply it four-five times daily, judging by the reinfestation rate at the moment. They were easier to handle when they didn't have wings... just cut off infested leaf and drop in soapy water...

--Chris

Dishwashing liquid is probably as effective as insecticidal soap.

Chris,

Neem Oil is derived from the seeds of the Neem Tree that grows in India. It is not an animal product.

Thanks for the feedback everybody. I will try widening my anti-aphid arsenal and see if I can't reach something that's effective without being overkill.
(We had another rainstorm though, and this time the 'invasion' in the wake was lots of spiders, so I may not be using -any- sprays for awhile, except maybe something gentle for blackspot. I like my spider-guardians. ;))

--Chris

Ladybirds (Ladybugs in the US i think, little round red beetles with black spots) eat aphids - so do lacewings, which could be the fly type things in the picture. I believe you can actually buy ladybirds and lacewings to use as a natural predator to rid your plants of aphids, and also ladybird houses that encourage them to live in your garden. I wonder how they mail them to you though...

Take your fingers and run them up the sides of the stem squishing the little buggers, repeat as necessary.

Or simply spray with water from a wand-type hose attaction, daily until the aphids are gone. Soap is unnecessary anyway. Direct the water upwards through the foliage.

Hooray Bostonian, Mashing them with your fingers fits all of the criteria that ChrisA Listed. Of course you can't mind getting sticky fingers.

I'm surprised no one commented on the two flies on the stem. It's possible that they are from a group of insects called Long Legged Flies and are predators of aphids.
The link below shows one picture of a long legged fly, as well as a pix of a lady bug larva that looks different from the lady bug larvae that I see here in Tennessee.

Here is a link that might be useful: Some IPM info

The two winged critters aren't flies. Instead, they're winged aphids, a normal occurrence when the colony becomes crowded.

Long-legged flies have a metallic body and hold their wings out to the side, also horizontal. Further, their antennae are very short.

Aphids aren't metallic, and their wings are held tent-like over the abdomen. Aphid antennae, although admittedly difficult to see in the above photo, are typically -- but not always -- quite long.

If you'd like a good Organic "de-bugger" water with a little vanilla extract in it works.