Question
Is there any other way to rid my roses of aphids other than commercial products? I have a dog and cat that like to spend in the yard. I live across the bay from S.F. where it tends to be a little warmer

Answer
The mother aphid lays her eggs on the tips of the rose bush so when they hatch, the new growth food if right there for them. Aphids don't have wings and have poorly developed legs. Because of that when they are knocked off the rose bushes they can't get up again not even by crawling. Birds consider aphids candies and do a good job cleaning the fallen ones up. Just take a hose and you can knock them off easily. Even just swatting at them with your hands will get rid of them. Hope this helps.