OK, who's eating my roses?

[MrsBadger]

and how the blazes can I get rid of them?

\link{http://www.flickr.com/photos/70022822@N00/sets/72157594166842696/\Photos here} - includes close-ups of caterpillars so may not be suitable for the squeamish!

was it the purple one with the nut and caramel in?

if so it was me sorry

Well, Mrs Badger, I'm afraid I have no idea what is eating your roses (other than Boris) but I felt I had to congratulate you on the quality of your photo montage.
It's better than anything I've seen on Springwatch.
Hope someone can help you soon!

thanks Betty!

any rose pest experts on this morning?

(have laid a Boris Trap baited with a purple one just in case)

The RHS website is very useful re pests. I'll see if I can get a link for you.

I couldn't find it on the RHS website, but I'm sure they used to do a garden pest advice.

\link{http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/6953_01.html\This} link seems to suggest that hand picking them is the way to go. As the eggs seem to be laid in wounds in the stem perhaps you could prune off all the damaged stems before the eggs hatch.

Perhaps someone who know about roses will be along soon, I'm not keen on them myself so don't grow them.

thanks bran!

I managed to track it down on the RHS website under \link{http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/problem_solver/holes.asp\advice - leaf loss} and came up with sawfly too. A google image search showed some other people with exactly the same symptoms, so I think we've got it!

Up till now I've been snipping off the chewed leaves, but will leave them on and just pick off the caterpillars. Good to know it won't kill the bush completely though.

Thanks for your help