Thanks Jonno - the glue spray sounds fantastic. i'll give it a go!
"Jonno" wrote in message
...
You should be so lucky. They attack me as well as the roses.
Found by googling found this
http://www.abc.net.au/canberra/stories/s1796237.htm

Here are some simple organic tips for dealing with a wide range of pest
problems in the garden:

# Thrips are hard to control, although the onset of hot dry weather also
reduces their numbers considerably. Glue spray will work, as will garlic
spray: for every 100g of chopped garlic, soak in 2 tablespoons of mineral
oil overnight or longer, then add insecticidal soap, available from good
garden centres dissolved in 600mls of water. Before spraying dilute by up
to ten times in volume.

# Fruit fly and codling moth can both be effectively controlled by
rigorously collecting any fallen fruit and sealing it in heavy duty black
plastic to kill the larvae Chooks will eat any fruit....
and do the same job and lay eggs.

# Spray tiny green aphids with a strong blast of water or squash them on
the stem. If the infestation worsens, try glue spray, which clogs them up
and kills them effectively. Mix one cup of white flour with one cup of
boiling water and dilute with around 4 cups of cold water. Spray heavily,
repeating every week or so, and remember to clean your nozzles and bottles
to stop them clogging up too. Aphids are cyclical and their first flush
disappears before Christmas in most seasons.


# Aphids produce a sticky substance called honeydew which attracts small
ants and helps spread the aphids and their eggs. Grease bands around the
base of affected trees can help prevent their spread.





# Scale has a number of different manifestations and colours including
white waxy clusters, red scale on citrus and black scale on evergreens,
but all form clusters on the stems of plants and suck out the cells
beneath. Ants spread scale, so control them, and brush the infestations
off with your hands, nails or a wire brush.


# Slaters and earwigs enjoy hiding in dark corners, so trap them at their
own game with crumpled newspaper in plastic pots. Grease bands will stop
earwigs climbing rose bushes to eat the buds, and they're also reputed to
flock to saucers of oil, in which they drown.



Claude wrote:
Can anyone help? This is the first year I've put in roses and have become
obsessed with them. All my good work seems to be being undone by massive
numbers of thrips! I've tried white oil, but the plants didn't look so
happy afterwards (and it didn't annhilate them as I had hoped). It was
suggested to me that I should just squash them with my fingers but that'd
have me working day and night to get them all. Any suggestions out there?
I'm despairing as I see my new rose buds eaten into by these predators!!