Small green “inch” worms on rose bush leaves

Question

We have about a dozen rose bushes and this is the second year now that these little inch type green worms have eaten the leaves on the bushes. They “lay” tiny pepper-flake size “seeds” on the leaves and they turn into these green worms that eat the entire leaf – leaving just the stem! My husband checks every morning for the little worms and gets rid of them – also knocks the tiny seed-like things off the leaves. It is very discouraging and we recently bought a bottle of insecticidal soap and sprayed the bushes but it doesn’t seem to work on them! Please help! Thanking you in advance for any information you have to get rid of these things once and for all!

Barbara Wilson

Answer 1

It sounds like you have rose slugs. I would spray all of the rosebushes down well with a product called Bayer Advanced Complete Insecticide. That should knock them down and out. You can also give all the rosebushes a treatment of Bayer Tree and Shrub Granules. This product has a feed in it to keep the rosebushes strong and a systemic that moves up through the roots and into the roses natural juices and gets after the slugs in that way. Remember to water your rosebushes well the day or night prior to any insecticide or fungicide applications.

Answer 2

Here is a link to an article about those nasty rose slugs for you as well: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/roses/rose-slugs.htm