“What’s is stripping my rose leaves?” This is a question asked by many garden owners whose roses have been stripped bare with no leaves left.
So what’s causing it, and what can be done about it? This guide will teach you how to manage the problem. Keep reading to find out.
What Is Eating Your Rose Leaves?
There are several bugs known to damage roses’ leaves. Here they are:
Japanese Beetles

The Japanese beetle is a common rose-eating bug. These bugs are about the size of a nickel and are metallic green or copper in colour. They feed on the leaves and flowers of rose bushes during the day, causing significant leaf damage.
You simply need to manually eliminate these bugs in order to prevent them from skeletonising your greenery. They don’t bite, so it is pretty easy to do. They’re most passive early in the morning or late in the evening, so that’s when you pick them up or knock them off the flowers and leaves.
However, don’t remove the beetles if they have white spots on their backs. This means tachinid flies—beneficial insects, already parasitise them. The white spots are the flies’ eggs, and you want them to hatch since they prey on other garden pests.
Fuller Rose Beetle
One of the most common culprits is the fuller rose beetle. These little guys are heavy feeders and can strip a rose bush in no time flat! They’re about the size of a ladybug and are brown.
These wingless beetles feed at night, and you’ll usually find them on the underside of leaves during the daytime.
What makes fuller rose beetles challenging to remove is that they lay eggs in the soil. The larvae feed on rose roots for several months before they emerge as adult beetles to feed on blooms and leaves in the spring.
To address the fuller rose beetle problems, you can hose the beetles off or remove them by hand. You can also prune the lower part of your roses. Additionally, put out sticky traps to capture the adult beetles on the ground before they get to your plants.
Leaf-Cutter Bees
These bees also cause damage to rose bushes. They cut out sections of leaves and use them to build their nests.
This doesn’t kill the bush and won’t affect how your roses flower, but it does make them look unsightly.
Cover the bush with fine mesh netting to prevent the bees from cutting your rose leaves. This will stop them from cutting any leaves while still allowing air, water and sunlight to reach the plants.
Don’t try to get rid of the bees with insecticides. It is beneficial to have them around.
Rose Slugs
Rose slugs or rose sawfly larvae can strip leaves from rose plants. Young slugs feed on the upper surface of leaves and leave behind a trail of holes. The holes are so small they look like brown spots on the leaves.
Mature rose slugs look like green caterpillars with yellow orange-heads with lengths of up to 3/4 of an inch. Adult rose sawfly larvae can east most parts of a rose leaf in one night, leaving the veins intact.
Rose slugs feed at night and are most active in gardens starting early spring until late summer.
To get rid of the slugs, you can handpick them or knock them off plants with a strong stream of water very early in the morning. Prune out any infested leaves and dispose of them away from your garden. You can also use methods like horticultural oil or insecticidal soaps.
Other Pests

Other pests eat rose leaves, but they are not as common. These include thrips, aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites.
If you see any bugs on your roses, remove them by hand or spray them off with water. You can also use insecticidal soaps and horticultural oils to kill the bugs without harming your plants.
Caterpillars may also eat rose leaves, but they are usually not fast enough to strip the entire bush in one go. They will nibble on a few leaves.
You can remove caterpillars by hand if you have the time and patience. You can also spray them off with water or use natural methods like Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
If you do find one of these rose-stripping visitors in your garden, don’t panic! With a little bit of patience and work, you can get rid of them and keep your roses looking beautiful.
What to Remember When Keeping Pests off Your Roses
Here are a few things to remember when removing pests from your roses.
Inspect Your Roses Regularly
The best way to keep them off your roses is by keeping an eye out. Inspect your roses regularly to address pest problem before it causes severe damage.
Identify Pests and Remove Them Accordingly
If you see pests on your roses, try to determine what they are. They have unique characteristics, so it is best to know what they are so you can find the best way to deal with them.
Use the Easiest Methods First

It is always better to use the most straightforward methods whenever possible. Remove any pest you find by hand.
You can also knock them off with a stream of water. However, you must determine the most appropriate time to remove the.
Use Organic Sprays as Necessary
You can also use organic sprays to remove bugs without harming the plants or beneficial insects like bees, ladybugs and lacewings.
Remember, not all pests need to be killed, as some may even help control other garden pests.
Practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Integrated pest management focuses on creating a balance between pests and beneficial insects in your garden. It also emphasises prevention, monitoring and mechanical control before using chemical pesticides if necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions About Stripped Rose Leaves
What Is Stripping My Rose Leaves and Flowers?
The most common insects that strip roses are the Japanese beetle rose sawfly larva, Fuller rose beetles, and leaf-cutter bees.
Other pests that can damage your roses include thrips, aphids, whiteflies and spider mites.
How Do You Get Rid of Sawflies on Roses?
These larvae will strip all the leaves of roses and other plants, leaving just a skeleton of veins.
The best way to get rid of sawflies is by handpicking them off the plant with your fingers or tweezers and squishing them.
How Do You Stop Bugs Damaging Your Rose Bush?
You can pick the bugs, spray them with water, or use organic methods like neem oil. However, if you spot disc-shaped cuts on your rose leaves, it is best to cover the whole plant with netting to prevent bees from damaging the foliage.
Keeping Your Rose Bushes Healthy and Pest-Free
Now that you know the answer to “What is stripping my rose leaves?”, keeping plants healthy and pest-free will be easier than ever.
Regularly inspecting the plant, identifying any pests or problems early on, and using the safest and most efficient methods to remove them as necessary will keep your roses beautiful through many seasons.
How do you stop pests from damaging your roses? Please share your experience with us in the comments section below!