What's eating my the fairy rose?

The Fairy Rose is a compact polyantha rose whose dense clusters of small pink flowers are particularly attractive to aphids and thrips. Japanese beetles cause damage in summer. Spider mites can flare on the dense foliage in hot, dry conditions. The low, spreading habit makes it accessible to rabbits. Aphids are by far the most common problem.

Colonies on shoot tips and flower clusters; sticky honeydew, leaf curl, and bloom distortion. Blast off with water; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil every 7–10 days; ladybugs and lacewings highly effective.

Adults skeletonize foliage and consume flowers; dense bloom clusters attract large numbers in July–August. Hand-pick at dawn into soapy water; pyrethrin spray for heavy pressure; milky spore for grub reduction.

Fine yellow stippling on leaves; bronze, dry texture; webbing on undersides during hot spells. Increase watering; mist foliage; spray leaf undersides with water or neem oil; miticide for severe outbreaks.

Clean diagonal cuts on young canes at soil level, particularly in early spring and autumn. Wrap base with hardware cloth cylinder; apply rabbit repellent after rain; low perimeter fencing around beds.