Black Cotton beetles

They say: Don't let the beatles get you down! The cotton beetles are terrible this year. They are not only attacking the partially opened blooms but somehow they get right inside the fully closed ones. Somebody suggested the product Success. I have not tried it. I have tried white icecream buckets with water in them but there is a limit to how much icecream you need to eat out of white icecream containers! Confidor might work but it is so expensive to use.
Anyone have any ideas. I understand that the cotton beetle does not bother the cotton crops. Some people might know this beetle as the hibiscus beetle. I just want to know how to beat the beetles!

apart from picking up the fallen blooms everyday and getting rid of the beetles hiding in the petals, the only other way is as you suggested. The white ice cream containers and liquid soap in them

Sorry to hear you’ve got so many beetles this year, Bonita. Do they actually hurt the roses, i.e., attack or destroy the blooms or leafs?
I know its frustrating to find the fresh white and lighter blooms dotted with black beetles, but whatever you do about them, consider what spraying might do to your little friends …
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Yes that is why I hesitate to do anything. There are as many as ten beetles in each bloom.

That sounds terrible; you have my sympathy …
Unfortunately I haven’t any really good recommendations other than just shaking them off. But other than spoiling the ‘look’, I don’t think they’re actually casing any harm to the roses and it could probably a lot worse. I usually just accept them when they turn up, but haven’t had as many as ten per bloom, ouch!

I always wondered what they were. They never harm any of my flowers so I never worry about them

Recently a fellow rose society member from Goulburn NSW sent me a number of pictures in which a rose is being attacked in plague proportions by what could be described as a brown beetle. Can anyone identify these pests?[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

could be the "Insidious Flower Beetle"

We get ones like that (I think). No idea on ID. This time of year is the time you don't have open doors/windows sans screens at night unless you want 50 million in watching tv with you. And in *everything*. Ugh. I've never noticed them on the plants though. Maybe I need to look harder!

neptune wrote:could be the "Insidious Flower Beetle"

I don't know about that John but he has problems!!!

just a thought...

LOLOLOL Autumn Damask. I know what you mean. It's annoying when they start changing the channels

Earwigs have been eating my flowers of late and leaving holes cant stand them !!!!.

So earwigs are the hole-drillers? My poor Daybreaker is covered in half-flowers at the moment, where soemthing or somethings have derilled and eaten one side of each flower bud. I was hoping that at least I was feeding a butterfly-to-be.

Those little bi-coloured beetles are called "Washing Beetles" (Phyllotocus rufipennis), a type of scarab beetle. They are diurnal so nighttime light traps probably wouldn't work. I have only seen them in the flowers of light coloured roses and i think that they got their common name from being attracted to sheets on the washing line. Their native host blossoms are eucalypts and banksias. Chemicals won't provide a long term solution as they will just fly in from next door or the paddock. But If you dispose of the raggedly blossoms that are full of them that should help. If you put up a white sheet you might end up dragging in the neighbourhood's supply of them..

Jokes aside, we have not got them, but Carole asked could we have some to help her with the washing "Washing Beetles" (Phyllotocus rufipennis)

My hibiscus/cotton beetles are not the same as the bi-colours in the pictures by Neptune. I know those beetles but MY beetles are smaller and just plain black. I have been dead-heading very regularly as I figures that was a manual way to remove them. Also I have been picking buds that just have full colour but have not unfurled. That does not solve the problem of enjoying roses on the bush. Yes, they prefer lighter coloured blooms. Last week I sprayed with Confidor but if I keep that up I will have to find a job to pay for it.

Someone suggested to use these products for the Hibiscus beetle - Measural (a registered snail spray) and Mallet (cheap Confidor).
I have not tried this as I have not priced or sourced these products.