What's eating my munstead wood rose?

Munstead Wood Rose is a rich crimson David Austin shrub rose susceptible to aphids and rose slug sawfly. Black spot weakens plants and invites secondary pest pressure. In the US, Japanese beetles cause major bloom damage. Deer will browse canes in rural areas. Good sanitation and fortnightly checks are the key controls.

Curled, sticky shoot tips and distorted buds with visible greenfly colonies; honeydew encourages sooty mould Knock off with water; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil; attract hoverflies with umbellifers nearby

Window-pane skeletonizing of leaf surfaces in May–July; larvae pale green and slimy Inspect undersides of leaves; pick off by hand or spray with pyrethrin-based insecticide

Foliage reduced to brown lace; deep crimson flowers particularly attractive to beetles Hand-pick into soapy water at dawn; neem oil spray as a repellent; milky spore in lawn soil

Young canes and shoots stripped, especially in spring flush and autumn when other food is scarce Use wire cage guards or deer repellent sprays; tall fencing if deer pressure is high