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Vapourer Moths Stripping My Roses

Whilst I know that the conventional wisdom is that Vapourer Moths don't usually cause much destruction, in this case I have a massive infestation on my rose bushes, and they are being totally stripped.

Can anyone offer any advice?  Is anyone else suffering with these this year - I've never even seen one until now!  Any predators that I could try to attract ?

Thanks

Posts

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    Are you sure they're not Rose Sawfly larvae? 


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    Here is a Vapourer caterpillar on one of my roses. This is the only one I have spotted so far and ID’d by pansyface for me. I let it be as it was kinda cute and funky, but looking at the photo again the rose petal looks decidedly nibbled!


    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • jayne10bjayne10b Posts: 105
    It’s definitely vapourer moth. That punk hairdo is too distinctive to miss.  I’ve got about 100 on my rose bush.  They’re decimating it! 
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    I don’t know about predators, I would imagine that hairdo would warn off birds. Rather time-consuming, but If I have pests munching on roses I add a slosh of washing up liquid to a large glass of water and froth it up, pick them off and dunk them in under the froth. Not sure about handling them with those hairs, maybe wear surgical gloves or use tweezers. Hmm, going to keep a closer eye out for them, but my main pest this year has been rose sawfly - hundreds of them!
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • jayne10bjayne10b Posts: 105
    It's also made a move towards my newly planted amalanchier!  I'm going to keep close tabs on that.
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