Holes in the center of leaves usually signify snails or slugs. The rose has rose slugs.

gross. how do i get rid of them? (or at least make my plants unappealing?)

If that's a sugar maple, it may have caterpillars of tiger swallowtail butterflies.

I'm actually not sure what kind of maple this is. We're in a newer development and everyone has one of these and a crape myrtle in the front yard. zone 7/8ish SC very close to Charlotte NC.

Rose slugs being the larvae of sawfly species ie insects rather than true slugs which are Gastropods.

Without seeing the critters to ID them, it would be impossible to know what (if anything) should or could be done. Caterpillars are usually on the bottom of leaves, so birds have a harder time seeing them. If you can add a pic of the critter, somebody should recognize it.

My thoughts are that if there are native butterfly caterpillars eating some leaves of my native maple tree, things are as nature intended and the tree's health shouldn't be in danger. I wouldn't want to disturb that process.

But, if it's something like armyworms, a battle might be appropriate, though IDK how successful it might be. Hopefully the neighborhood has an assortment of trees.

this is the first time I've noticed the leaves eaten up this badly but I'll leave it for now and see. as far as slugs or caterpillars on my shrubs and smaller plants though... I found some reviews
diatomaceous earth online would that be a good route in addition to the neem spray i've been using?

*leave the maple alone for now

DE doesn't work very well outside, since moisture renders it ineffective.

FWIW, I understand the rule of thumb is that plants/trees can withstand the loss of up to 1/3 of their foliage w/ no ill effect. The amount of damage to the rose looks minimal - perhaps 'wait & see' may be best for now.

I'm dubious that damage that high in a tree would be slugs unless there is nothing available at ground level. And as I pointed earlier out rose 'slugs' aren't true slugs so anything designed to kill Gastropods might well be ineffective. Have you examined under the rose leaves carefully?

I'm with carolb - the damage doesn't seem worth worrying about. I'd watch the roses and see if it gets any worse. Then do some more through investigation.

It's easy enough to handpick the sawfly larvae (rose slugs which are not slugs at all). Put on a glove if squeamish and give them a thumb and forefinger pinch through the leaf, you don't even have to damage or remove the leaf. Look on the leaf underside, green like the leaf, quite small.

The holes where likely made by a type of caterpillar (Lepidoptera). Some light leaf damage can usually be expected in maples. That maple looks like a Freeman Maple hybrid (Acer × freemanii), it's a cross between a Silver Maple and Red Maple.

The damage to the maple seems to be on just the outer leaves. Have you had any hail lately?
Mike

I do know caterpillar damage tends to start on the outer most branches/leaves. The moths that lay the eggs tend to lay them on the branch ends.

That makes sense.
I've never noticed that before because I don't seem to have many caterpillars around here. Haven't seen a tent caterpillar nest in years. I don't even get Swallowtail caterpillars on my Fennel anymore.
Mike...near Seattle

no hail. I'm in SC near the NC border & Charlotte. about zone 8. caterpillars seem like a highly likely cause. do stinkbug larva eat leaves? I was outside looking at the tree and saw a stink bug laying eggs. it was both fascinating and kinda grossed me out.

gross. how do i get rid of them? (or at least make my plants unappealing?)

==>>>> cut down the tree .. and pave paradise... and put in a parking lot ...

crikey.. leaf damage on large trees.. can be ignored.. in toto ... please do so ..

there is no perfection in nature .. just dont look so close.. lol ...

ken