How to treat rose bush with scale?

[Daisy2024]

Hi experts here , I feel my roses got sick, but dont know what the name of this disease. how to treat it and survie my roses, please give me guidance . much appreciated!

[JacobZ]

Hi @Daisy2024,

Thank you for your question and welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

It looks like your roses have got a scale infestation.

Scale on roses is a type of tiny insect that attaches itself to the stems and sometimes leaves of the plant. These insects are small, often looking like little white or brown bumps on the plant, which can be mistaken for part of the rose itself. They don’t move much, but they feed by sucking sap from the plant, which can weaken the rose and cause it to look unhealthy.

Ideally, you would be able to simply cut the affected branches off, but it appears to be on the majority of the plant. I'd suggest using a toothbrush to gently remove as much of the scale as possible without damaging the stems beneath. The plant can then be treated with Eco-Oil to kill the remaining insects.

Allow me to tag @Noelle, our resident garden guru to see if she has any advice.

Jacob

[Noelle]

Hi @Daisy2024 

The visible scale is a waxy covering over an insect that is sucking the sap. To efficiently control scale, you should apply a horticultural oil (eco oil, white oil) which will dissolve the covering, followed by an insecticide to kill the pest.