Rose slugs, also known as rose slug larvae, are a type of caterpillar that can cause severe damage to your rose plants. These small, non-stinging wasps grow inside the leaves of your rose bush, causing them to curl and eat their way to maturity. They are commonly mistaken for caterpillars but will not harm or kill your plants.
Several caterpillar species enjoy eating rose leaves, with cabbage loopers being the most common. They can be easily identified by their distinctive half-winged appearance. Pests eating your rose leaves include rose slugs, Japanese beetles, fuller rose beetles (Rose Weevils), aphids, mealybugs, caterpillars, spider mites, and leaf-cutter bees. To control caterpillar populations before and after the eggs hatch, you can prune affected areas and apply sprays.
The small, green “worms” are likely the larvae of the rose sawfly. They have tapered bodies, may be up to ½ inch in length, and are pale green in color. Large rose sawflies have pale spotted black, green, and yellow larvae that eat the leaves of roses, sometimes causing severe defoliation. They hang out on the bottom of leaves and move from the soil to the top of roses.
There are multiple pests that feed off rose plants, causing serious damage if left untreated. These creatures can include aphids, caterpillars, leaf rolling, and other insects. To prevent caterpillars from eating your rose plants, install a birdhouse or provide feed near the trees.
| Article | Description | Site |
|---|---|---|
| Rose Sawfly (or Why Are Little Caterpillars Eating My … | This is the rose sawfly larva. It showed up the Friday of Memorial Day weekend. You see that on this leaf (and look closely, because it’s a tiny … | gardendaze.blog |
| How to Keep Those Pesky Green Bugs—aka Sawfly … | The sawfly larvae will appear on roses in late spring and begin eating leaves‘ soft, green tissue. The remaining veins of the leaf they don’t … | bhg.com |
| What’s Eating My Roses in Spring? — Sawflies | For example, a number of caterpillars can occasionally be spotted on roses in spring, such as the rose plume moth (Cnaemidophorus rhododactyla). | insectlab.russell.wisc.edu |
📹 What’s Eating my Roses? Holes in Leaves/Buds/Flowers
If you notice chewing damage on your rose, you may wonder what’s eating your plant? Let’s have a look at those holes in rose …
Do Sawflies Eat Rose Leaves?
Young caterpillars primarily consume the tender parts of rose leaves, while many mature caterpillar species, including sawfly larvae, can cause extensive defoliation by eating entire leaves and flowers. Sawflies, insects related to bees and wasps, can significantly damage roses, particularly their leaves, leaving behind a window-pane or skeletonized appearance. The large rose sawfly adult measures about 1/3 inch long, characterized by a black head and thorax and orange abdomen and wings.
Importantly, it is the larvae, often referred to as rose slugs, that cause damage. These olive-colored larvae, with orange heads, consume leaf tissue predominantly from the underside, resulting in substantial feeding marks, especially visible in early life stages as tiny brown spots. Heavy feeding can result in complete leaf consumption.
The larvae of different sawfly species inflict two types of damage: "windowpane" damage, where they eat partially through the foliage, and complete defoliation. The distinctive tightly curled leaves caused by the leaf-rolling sawfly occur due to chemicals from female sawflies laying eggs. Rose slugworms, another type of sawfly larvae, also target rose plants.
Most commonly found in spring, the larvae of sawflies can be mistaken for other pests like leaf-curling aphids. They leave behind noticeable damage that can often go unseen at night when they are more active. While rose sawfly larvae do not kill plants, their voracious eating habits can significantly diminish foliage aesthetics. Symptoms of their presence include skeletal leaves or those full of holes. A thorough examination of roses in spring will help identify these pests that may also target other trees like pear and cherry.
📹 🌹 Rose Slugs – What’s Eating your Rose Leaves? Identify & Organically Treat Rose Slugs/Sawfly Larva
Do your rose leaves have white spots or holes? In this video, I’ll show you how to identify and treat Rose Slugs (Sawfly Larva).
Found these slugs on my mini rose and mixed up a homemade solution and it works wonders! 100ml warm water, 2 ml baby oil, and 3-4 drops of dish soap (to emulsify the oil and water). Apparently the baby oil (a mineral oil) does something to the soft bodied insects and they don’t seem to come back. Mix it up in a spray bottle and continuously shake the bottle to make sure everything is mixed while you’re spraying. Try to spray on the backside of the leaves and soft tips of the plant in the evening or early morning; avoid spraying in direct sun/ heat. Works well on aphids too! Probably see a change after 2 treatments.
My great Grandpa had a different way of dealing with these guys. It was, “Cassi, use your little fingers to pull those off’a there and drop them in this cup.” It was usually just salty water. Yup, his guard against slugs and caterpillars was me for a good number of years. They were THE WORST on the berries though. Now I gather them alive and feed them to my birds. My chickens and ducks make short work of anything creepy crawly. And generally speaking as long as the plant has thorns the birds leave them alone.