Guide to how to control caterpillars on Roses

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Caterpillars Love Roses!

The fabulous rose blooms that you’ve been waiting patiently for are also being eagerly anticipated by some very hungry caterpillars. Caterpillars can chew through and into rose buds as well as eating leaves.

Control these destructive pests by spraying roses thoroughly every 2 weeks, including the undersides of foliage where caterpillars often hide, with Yates Rose Gun Spray Ready to Use. Other common insect pests of roses such as aphids, thrips, whitefly and two-spotted mites will also be controlled with Yates^® Rose Gun, together with dreaded rose black spot disease.

Feed in-ground roses in spring and summer with Yates Thrive Rose Flower Granular Food. Spread the granules around the root zone and water in well. For potted roses, apply Yates Thrive Roses Flowers Liquid Plant Food each week from spring through to autumn. Yates^® Thrive^® rose foods contain a special combination of nutrients to encourage healthy green leaf growth and lots of beautiful blooms.

Also take the opportunity to refresh or apply mulch around the base of rose bushes. Mulching has several benefits:

It helps reduce the amount of water splashing up from the soil onto the leaves, which decreases the risk of leaf diseases.

Mulch helps to keep the soil moist and protect the delicate top soil from baking sun.
Organic mulches, such as bark chips and Lucerne straw, will break down over time and add valuable organic matter to the soil.