I grow a LOT of climbing roses, and I have never noticed any of them being used as a method for bugs to the top of the structure. At a former house I trained wisteria (not roses at that house) to grow woven along my deck railing. The effect of the foliage in summer, shading all sides of the deck, was like sitting in a tree house. I imagine a rose could do the same thing.

Someone here has a beautiful photo of Crepuscule trained along their deck.

Tell your wife that you already have ways for bugs to get on the deck ... the deck has posts and beams that would make for a dandy highway. If you don't already have bug issues, I doubt a rose on the deck rail will bring them. You may get a bird nest once the rose fills in, but I wouldn't worry about bugs.

Connie

I personally agree with your wife. If you have a wooden house, then plants should not be grown directly onto it. There used to be a wisteria growing over one part of the house. Guess which part of the house had termite damage.

If your house is built of stone or wood you could go ahead with it, since termites don't eat those materials.

On the other hand, I love climbing roses and grow a number of them. Two are growing against the house, but not directly on it. Leander in the front and Baltimore Belle on the side grow on large, sturdy trellis placed about 18" out from the house. Not only does this reduce the termite risk, but it has two other good points. It gets the rose out of the rain-shadow, and it allows me to get to the back of the plant easily for pruning and training.

Rosefolly

No worries--the snakes will follow them up and make short work of the bugs. ;-)

We had 2 roses growing up our 3 story wood shingled house all the way to the roof (and each about 20 feet wide) for 20 years. No problems with bugs whatsoever. Birds and squirrels made nests in the roses, but not bugs. My husband says that termites do not like light, and like to get into the wood right down where it is touching the dirt. So, he put some sort of non-wood siding as the first course under the lowest shingles, so that they are not touching the dirt.

Those roses are shorter now (about 1 story high), but only because we had to have them cut back in order for the house to be painted. When they were removed from the top 2 stories, no bug problems were revealed. They are growing again, and I hope will be back up to the roof in a year or so.

Oh, we also have 3 roses growing up the back of our house, also without any bug problems. People everywhere grow roses on wooden fences, if you think about it. So far I have never heard anyone complain about bug problems. So, if it was me, I would go for it!

Jackie

Maybe they just like wisteria.

I have my ZD growing up to the deck and I also have to Jasmine vines growing up the posts. I haven't noticed bugs crawling up the plants. Of course I see bugs on the deck, usually flies, but not crawling bugs like ants. And termites would not climb up, they eat through the wood. I'm sure your deck is treated wood that termites can't eat.

The roses would climb up the deck which is not attached to the house; it's attached to another deck. It's a two tiered deck. The deck is treated lumber. I think it's perfectly safe. I think she's mostly concerned about ants but it doesn't seem likely that ants or any other bugs would decide to climb up the plant but not up the wooden posts.

I just thought I'd ask you all who have experience with this sort of thing to find out if I'm wrong and planting roses like this is a bad idea. Sounds like it's a go. Good thing--they are already in the ground. (smiles)

Just bumble bees and squirrels. Oh, and the cardinal's nest this year.

What climbers are you going to use, Jeff?

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

Oh yeah, you all would be interested in the details of the roses. I'm so used to blank stares...

I planted Felicia and Lavender Lassie there. Under the deck is going to be a sort of little girl playhouse for my granddaughters. I thought one wall of pink and one of purply-pink roses sounded like something they will like when they are big enough to notice. Also planted a jasimine and some clematis.

Thanks for the encouragement, everyone.

Anytime, Jeff, aren't glad we have each other? DH's and DW's serve other wonderful purposes but not 'rose encouragement'.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...