Climbing rose - brown leaves ants and bugs

Hi
I purchased a climbing rose and planted it in a rear garden border climbing a fence. The garden is East facing. After planting it looked to do well and flowered earlier in the year. After flowering the leaves have slowly turned brown. There are small bugs on the stems and ants (I think they are eating the bugs). It looks like the rose is slowly dying and not sure what is best

 

Hello, ijolly4. Maybe aphids but the insects were too grainy and far away in the pictures to tell 100% sure. You can capture a few in a sealed, transparent, plastic bag and take them to your favorite local plant nursery for identification. Ants do not directly harm the roses, but they may encourage the presence of sap-feeding pests by protecting the "real" pests from their natural predators. Ants also use the honeydew that these pests produce. So when ants appear on roses, always check the whole plant for other pests.

 

By the looks of things, all the foliage has been attacked. No good trying to same it. Remove all dead,dying and damaged leaves and burn. The bugs, ptobably aphid/blackfly. These can be brushed off, or spray with rose clear. A brush dipped in meths will also get rid of them.

 

Nice, simple to understand video.

My reason for suggesting the removal and burning of all affected leaves. Such sad leaves may well be harbouring other bacteria. Yes.In time the leaves will fall and eventually decompose into the soil. This is the norm, but it must be remembered that. Certain bacteria has the ability to live on, so to speak. For instance. Black Spot. This virus can live for a very long time in the soil. When the time is right, it will rise up and the spores have a ready and waiting host. As a kind of bonus, which we gardeners can well do without. Most bugs carry an additional armoury. Not only do they damage and at times destroy your plants. They can act similar to mice and rats. They leave a devastating trail behind them. So. As indicated by the photos. All foliage has become affected. Possibly under the microscope, I could identify perhaps several other infections. Each attributed to the presence of these bugs. So the choice is yours.


The world famous David Austin decd' Used to get all his staff out into the growing fields befor christmas and they would totally defoliate all the roses. Results. Healthy roses for sale in the new year.

Soapy water spray is an oldie. Strange but I believe true. The EU at one time outlawed the use. In practical terms. Yes it works, but it is so messy.

Please note. I am not being critical. Simply passing on valid info.