Help identifying little bug eating holes in my rose leaves!

9 years ago

Hello,

I am a new poster to this forum, although I have been reading various threads for quite some time. So thanks in advance for any help.

Earlier this spring I planted two KnockOut Roses. They started out doing fabulous and one even bloomed out all over. The other one never bloomed, probably because of too much shade. In early August I noticed the leaves on one were being eating by something. Since it was the rose bush in the shade I figured I would just let it go since the other one was blooming and doing great. Now, that one is also be foraged!! I finally took the time to closely inspect and this is what I found. There aren't many, maybe 6-7 on each plant at any given time. I have knocked them off repeatedly, but they keep coming back. They eat lots of little holes in the leaves which eventually turn a light brown color before withering up.

Please help me identify these critters and if there are any known chemical free solutions I would greatly appreciate the shared wisdom.

Comments (5)

jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
9 years ago
I honestly can't really tell from your photo exactly what insect is on that leaf. Knock them off into a bucket of soapy water to kill them so they do not come back on the bushes...

Maybe someone else can ID it for sure...
Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
9 years ago
It's a japanese beetle. Welcome to roses.
You can knock them off every evening into a bucket/jar of soapy water like jim recommends and that does work very well, but if you want something stronger and non organic you can spray with sevin in the evenings (not powder, it kills bee hives and not during the day, as that kills active bees also) or use milky spore (Lowes and Home Depot carry it here) but that kills future eggs/beetles so it won't work this year.

Or, be like me and do nothing. Some years are worse than others but I'm not harming the butterflies, frogs, skinks, or hummingbirds while trying to control a little leaf damage.
When you don't kill one thing, everything lives and eats one another so it all works out for the best.
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seil zone 6b MI
9 years ago
Definitely a JB! Squish it and any more you find! Then get some kind of grub killer and spray your lawn at the appropriate time. It isn't a cure all but will help keep the population down some what.
nilesrath
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks. I had wondered if they were Japanese Beetles. I wasn't sure though because they were so small. I thought JB's were bigger and not as shiny looking.

I have read on some forums that even though they may eat all the leaves, the rose plant will continue living. The one plant they got to first has no leaves left, but I think there are a few new shoots about to come out. Will the plants survive if I do nothing? Or will the JB's kill them entirely?
meredith_e Z7b, Piedmont of NC, 1000' elevation
9 years ago
They'll survive! The only concern would be weak or teeny roses, where they can't afford to lose so many leaves.

If you have that few (it is really few, sadly), then hand-pick them to squish, let die in an old water bottle, plop into a soapy bucket, etc. I usually go the water bottle route (before the droves come). Then I just throw it away with them contained in it. I usually recycle, but one water bottle compared to pesticides should even out ;) I hide it with their dying bodies inside and use it again the next day, too, but that gets smelly after a while! Don't say you weren't warned :D