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California Gardening

Birds eating the leaves on my roses ! HELP !

15 years ago

If we had wind I'ld try a wind design but no wind. I have bars of soap everywhere because I thought it was rats, rat bars, as well as liquid fence, as if all these odors would keep the whatevers away. We have a few nests and lots of bees.After all this work, leggy roses are very sad, but still have a few nice blooms, but breaks my heart. In the front where I have lots of roses but no nests and very few birds the plants are gorgeous, huge with lots of leaves.

Anybody know of anything to stop the birds. Tobasco and garlic doesn't work, soap either..

When I think of it all the amendments in the back gardens, no fish emulsion which really calls the critters but mulch and worm castings, coffee, just good stuff. In the front didn't put anything in the soil but Bayers rose liquid which I did in the back too. Huge amount of blooms in the front..

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Comments (3)

calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
15 years ago
Do you actually see the birds eating your rose leaves? Al
bluesibe
15 years ago
Are you sure it is not cutter bees, which are beneficial insects and most of us just ignore.

Carol
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Bayer 3-in-1 will get rid of some of those bugs. It will also kill the predator wasps, ladybugs, and any mantids and create an environment where the bad bugs return sooner than their predators. For those aphids, rose slugs, and mites, a simply spray of water is nearly as effective as a kill'em-all insecticide. These are the easier of the pests to knock off of rose bushes. The rain should be part of your pest control, and not contributing to the infestation. I believe all of the ones you listed prefer hot & dry conditions.
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what I wouldent give to have a leaf cutter this year. I fought off the aphids and then the ants but VERY few bees. I plant a few things to bring them in and I am heartbroken because I am missing them this year. the "damage" they do has never really hurt my roses and I am happy to see them come back to visit my fresh blooms. I am begging anyone who sees them to please just leaf them bee.
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In the spring the female leaf cutter bee makes blankets for her young by cutting out semi circles in the rose leaves and wrapping them around them. Every semi circle she bits off is identical. These bees don't stay too long and it doesn't damage the rose plant.
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hosenemesis
15 years ago
I have never heard of birds eating rose leaves, but I know finches eat sunflower leaves.

I think it is more likely it is insect damage. In your area stick insects have taken over. Go out at night, squirt water on your rose plants, and shine a flashlight at the tops of the plants and see if stick insects are there.

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