What's eating my the pilgrim rose?

The Pilgrim Rose, a tall David Austin climber or large shrub, attracts aphids, caterpillars, rose leafhoppers, and deer. Aphids are the most common problem, hitting soft shoot tips throughout the growing season. The climbing stems can be difficult to inspect thoroughly, so regular close checks of new growth are important.

Dense infestations on elongating shoot tips and flower stalks; honeydew, sooty mould, and distorted opening buds Spray with insecticidal soap or pyrethrin; encourage natural predators; manually remove accessible colonies on lower stems

Leaves tied together with silk or eaten back to a skeleton; young shoots may be entirely consumed inside silk nests Unroll spun leaves by hand and destroy larvae; apply Bacillus thuringiensis spray at early caterpillar stage in spring

Pale, sand-blasted stippling across upper leaf surfaces from nymphs feeding below; cast white skins on leaf undersides Spray the undersides of leaves with pyrethrin; clear bramble from nearby hedgerows where adults overwinter

Lower canes stripped of leaves and buds; climbing shoots snapped where deer reach; antler rub marks on basal stems Protect base with wire cage or netting; use deer repellent spray on accessible foliage; train main canes higher if possible