This happens to my roses like 2x a year. I cannot explain what causes them to form this way, but it seems to affect many different varieties and usually around the same time. Some varieties (elegant fairy tale, sugar moon, mr Lincoln)are more prone to it than others. I live in south Fl so cold or frost damage is certainly not the culprit. I read once that too much alfalfa can cause this to happen, and I think there is a coorolation because one year I used copious amounts of Rose Tone (which contains Alfalfa) and that was the year that I had it the worst. (I no longer use rose tone and I've seen a significant decline). Not to say that Rose Tone is bad, I believe it to be a good product, but I used it in pots and perhaps it was too concentrated. Have any if you seen a cooralation between using alfalfa meal and phyllody (or near phyllody) like Hoov says?

The most common "eater" of rose leaves in California is the Bristly Rose Slug, the larvae of the Rose Sawfly. The sawfly is a pudgy little wasp. It lays its eggs on the UNDERSIDES of the leaves and the caterpillars feed on the UNDERSIDES of the leaves. The rose slug is tiny, no more than 1/4-inch long and very slender, and it's the exact same pale green as the undersides of the leaves. Talk about hard to see and find! It's the critter that "skelotinizes" rose leaves. It's pretty easy to get rid of, actually. Almost any good spray will do the job: insecticidal soap, Neem, pyrethrum. The trick is to spray thoroughly UNDER the leaves. Not stand back and spray all over. You have to get UNDER the leaves. By the way, a commonly suggested spray for rose sawfly is BT. It doesn't work. It doesn't work because it's meant for the caterpillars of moths and butterflies. The rose slug is the larvae of a wasp. And I'm not sure of any beneficial insect that preys upon it. As for your rose buds, Applenut has a good idea. Go outside late at night with a flashlight. The critter most likely is an earwig, sowbug or pillbug. It also might be a slug or snail. Joe

I too am having something eating holes in lots of my buds. I have never heard of rose slugs. Is it the same as the slugs that snack on my hosta and my dahlias?? Those critters can do some damage if left untreated. So what is a nematode?? Sorry but I am a newbie to roses other than knockouts. If I get some nematodes then I guess I will have to quit spraying or applying bayer?? I have been trying the bayer all in one to see how it does because I have tons of green aphids this year. Have never had such a problem with them before this bad. Sorry for so many questions. Theres always seems to be something out there trying to eat up all my plants and it drives me crazy. Judy

Are they about a cm long growing to about an inch long? If they are I had them on my roses this summer too. I don't know what they are called but they put lots of holes in leaf and flower. I hand-picked them off along with the Japanese beetles. I also happened to have rust, mildew,black spot and a lot of aphids all at the same time. I used a Safer's 3 in 1 pesticide, fungicide and (???icide) and in about two weeks the roses were very happy and very healthy. I don't know of any organic controls for the worms. Seems the season is nearly over so maybe mother nature will take care of your problem. Zone 4 has got to be cold by now. Cheers, Tyler.