What's eating our rose (Rosaceae)?

Bella, our nursery-propagation intern reports on a problem she discovered...

"One morning, while weeding in the Garden, I noticed a small pile of sawdust near the base of a rose shrub (unknown species, originating from Azerbaijan).

A closer look revealed a hidden intruder, a wood borer eating its way through the stem from the inside (see photos below). Some plants from the Rosaceae family tend to be attacked by these group of insects in the early summer, other species too. 

From left: larvae (circled) borehole in base of plant borehole in stem of plant

It’s not the beetle or the moth that causes the damage, but the wood borer larvae that develops inside and bores into the wood.

The traditional treatment would be taking a wire and pulling the intruder out, then, putting inside a specific chemical liquid and sealing the hole. The rest of the species around will be tightly checked on a daily basis. 

Instead of jumping straight to chemicals, we chose a gentler approach. We found the larvae who did not survive of course, then we removed the plant and the affected parts and sealed them in a bag. From now and on we are monitoring the other shrubs of this rose closely.

Just another reminder, caring for plants isn’t just sunshine and watering. It takes daily work, patience, and constant attention."

A healthy plant