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Ozarks Gardening

what is eating my rose leaves?

15 years ago

Somethng is eating the inner part of my rose leaves. The green part of the leaf is gone and you can see transparent film underneath the chewed part. I can not find any insects on the plant. I have bad eyes, so if they are very tiny I am going to have to use a magnifying glass. I wish I could post a picture, but I don't have a digital camera. Anyone have a clue? What do I do to get rid of the pest?

Thanks

Ann

Comments (5)

kaye
15 years ago
Probably the same critters that are eating my hibiscus..haven't seem to bother the roses yet. There was a post a while back on the Organic Forum that I've linked to below that has some great info..

Here is a link that might be useful: Rose leaf damage
bunny6
Original Author
15 years ago
Kaye, I looked at the post, but I don't see any green worms. They could be there, and I just don't see them. What ever it is I am going to try the insecticidal soap that people talked about in the post. I have a degree in science and I know how bad some chemicals can be. I hope the soap works.
Thanks for your response. Have a great day!
Ann
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Florence, Your very kind words had such a calming soothing effect on me. I read your message and literally said out loud....awwwwwww....thank you so much for turning my day around. Sometimes all it takes is just a very small kindness. I promise I will pay it forward to someone else today. PLEASE please let me know if there are any get-togethers.The problem is I too have a very very busy summer myself tho. Can you believe 3 weddings, 3 engagement parties, 4 bridal showers and I'm a bridesmaid too?..whew...so I completely understand. I truly love reading your posts and seeing your lovely roses. I always know I'm gonna smile when I see you here or in the rose forum. Please have a blessed rosey day. Becky
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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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Comments (10)
Rose slugs are part of the big picture of growing roses, and if you have the patience to wait it out with minimal measures like squishing/removing the worms (if you find them), and spraying with strong streams of water or the insecticidal soap to remove the ones you can't see, it will pay off in time. The good bugs like the wasps Patty describes will come in to eat the worms and you won't see the damage from there. That's why you don't want to spray pesticides for these. I don't think the slug bait works on these types of bugs, since they're not ground crawling slugs like the bait is for (those soft bodied squishy beige lumps). These are only called slugs in names, but they're actually larvae of a fly so they don't live on the ground. That is why you're not seeing improvement from the slug bait, lkayetwvz5 - you'll need to spray some water at the leaves themselves to dislodge the pests. The leaves themselves will still have whatever chewed parts they have, and it doesn't hurt the plant to leave them. Once you tackle this generation of slugs, the new leaves should grow in fine. Cynthia
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christie_sw_mo
15 years ago
How frustrating. I wonder if there could be something munching on it at night. Hopefully, the insecticidal soap will take care of it whatever it is. If not, you may want to go out after dark with a flashlight to see if you can see anything.
pauln
15 years ago
If the rose leaves are "skelatonized" where the veins are left behind then it sounds like Japanese Beetles. They love roses. The leaves will look like lace after being eaten with all of the green gone. If it is JB, then insecticidal soap will have no effect on them. That only works on soft bugs such as aphids, lacebugs, mealybugs. Organic methods of killing JB would be something strong like pyrethrins or neem oil. Grub control is also very important. There is a parasite of grubs called "milky spore" that eats the grubs and spreads through the soil to infect other grubs. It may take a few years to have very good control with this. Perhaps a multi-stage effort to kill out as many adult beetles as possible and also work on the grubs. Good luck!
bunny6
Original Author
15 years ago
Christie, I am going out tonight with a flashlight to see if I can find the critters. My neighbors think I am a little nutty anyway. I am the only person with flower gardens in my neighborhood. Anyway, Pauln, it doesn't look like JB, but thanks for the knowledge. Now I know what to look for when my leaves are skelatonized. I hope the soap works or the insects leave.
Thanks
Ann

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