It is all normal, Adelaide. I don't spray and have had pests on occasion but they really aren't a serious threat to your roses.

Just look under the leaves when you see those marks and you may find the rose slug culprit. If you do, fold the leaf over the slug and squish it. :)

Only, that looks like you're looking at the underside of the leaf, there.

Look at the TOP. Does it look like at those spots, you can see through the leaf? If so, there should be teeny greenish caterpillars under the leaf. Those, you squish. (They sort of "pop".)

Thank you all! Carol and Jerijen-yes they have the same spots on the top of the leaves. I did find a few very very time worms on the underside of the leaves and squished what I can find for now.

Sheila-so they won't decimate the leaves if I leave them alone? I'll try to squish what I see but was afraid if I let them get out of control my rose will die....

Your damage there is so mild as to be of no significance, so far. I have seen leaves all over a bush completely damaged, each leaf looking like lace. In a case like this, intervention earlier would have kicked the slug outbreak dead in its tracks.

Just keep an eye on things, and if damage increases considerably, a spray, either organic or conventional insecticide, is called for. I prefer the effectiveness of conventional insecticide means being employed.

Moses

What Moses said.

Except that, for myself, a pest that will be gone soon (morphed and flown away) isn't worth poison.

Hey, Adelaide. It looks like rose slug (sawfly larvae) to me. In fact, I think I might see one or two tiny ones in that first photo (?). I'm on my second round of them and they've been the worst ever. As I understand it, the ones we get here are a non-native species and the birds in my yard don't have any interest in eating them. You may not have as much trouble there as I do here in zone 7(a) / southern Appalachians. I don't use chemicals but have found that I really have to stay on top of it or they'll decimate whole sections of leaves quite quickly. I snip the leaf off when I can; I also use a heavy spray of water on the undersides of the leaves. (The hardest is when they're on a climber 15 feet off the ground. ) Good luck!

Thank you all! I think I will keep a close eye on them for now and squish whatever I can see....I have the Safer insecticidal soap but I am trying to limit it's use. I also have been getting A LOT of aphids on my rose leaves so I may have to bring that out at some point but hopefully not!

Don't spray anything on the aphids other than a hard spray of water from your hose - that will get them off (or you could do what I do, which is to take my (gloved) hand and gently run it up the tip of the rose cane where the aphids are. Aphids are NOT worth spraying any kind of poison whatever on your roses - they will vanish soon, and many many good bugs like to eat them, and you don't want to kill the good bugs (like ladybugs). Also, a teeny tiny kind of bird arrives here in huge flocks when there are a lot of aphids on my roses - they are the shape of a sparrow, but the size of a hummingbird. The first clue I get that they are here is their very high, squeeky call (my DH can't hear it). They land on the roses and really go to work on the aphids.

Jackie

Thank you Jackie and Flowersaremusic for the advice! I have avoided spraying the aphids by rubbing them thus far but was afraid they'll get out of control at some point. But I'll take your advice and not spray them at all, hopefully the birdies will find them tasty!

Or, they will just leave on their own. They were really bad here, but I haven't noticed any for a couple weeks. Could be the heat, I don't know, but they don't stick around all season. I hope yours will leave soon, too.

Flowers!!! That is the coolest thing!!! What a lovely little chick-a-dee!!! Quite often I see little sparrows hopping around my pots...I should put out a sign...free aphids....Chow's on!!

Jackie - I would love to see that!!!

Here's a baby ladybug on my Zaide...I'm getting quite a few of the little dudes.

I read this:

Over the course of the spring and early summer, one female ladybug can lay up to 1,000 eggs.

Jacqueline, sounds like you might be getting flocks of bushtits. We get them in our yard. They always travel in flocks, never alone.
https://www.laspilitas.com/California_birds/Bushtits/Bushtits_in_your_garden.htm