Something Eating Rose Bush Leaves - Knowledgebase Question

Carrolton, GA
Avatar for lmckenzi
Question by lmckenzi
June 4, 1998
Something is eating the leaves on my rose bush. I am a beginner at growing roses and am concerned that it will kill my first rose bush.


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Answer from NGA
June 4, 1998
Photo by Newyorkrita
Several things could be eating your rose leaves. Without a description of the damage it is difficult to pinpoint the culprit. Possible guilty parties include caterpillars (tend to eat from the edges of leaves in), beetles (including "June bugs" and other beetles), leaf cutter bees (cut a half inch round hole in the leaf), leaf cutter ants (strip all the leaves on the bush (look for their trails back to their nests), a well beaten path through the grass or weeds), and deer (eat leaves and tender ends of branches).

Do some investigative work to see what may be eating the leaves. If you don't see anything in the daytime, try going out with a flashlight at night (many pests are nocturnal). When you determine "who dunnit", submit another question (via the web site) with a description and we'll see if we can help you put an end to this mischief. Good luck with the investigation!

In the meantime, don't worry too much about the damage. Your rose can lose leaves and will regrow more with little damage to the bush.

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