What's eating my atlas cedar?

Atlas Cedar faces bark beetles as its primary threat, particularly when stressed by drought or poor drainage. Cedar aphids and woolly adelgids coat new growth with sticky residue. Tortrix moth caterpillars web and feed on shoot tips. Deer browse lower foliage on young trees. Established, well-sited Atlas Cedars are generally resilient to most pests.

Small bore holes in twigs and branches with pitch tubes; larvae create galleries that girdle shoots; dieback of individual branches or whole crowns on stressed trees Water deeply during summer drought; improve drainage where needed; remove dead and dying wood promptly; avoid wounding bark; pyrethroid sprays for high-value landscape trees

Large colonies on shoots produce copious honeydew; black sooty mold grows on coated surfaces; needle yellowing and shoot tip wilting; ant activity signals infestations Apply insecticidal soap or neem oil directly on colonies; encourage natural enemies (lacewings, hoverflies); strong water jets dislodge light infestations; systemic treatment as last resort

Larvae web shoot tips together and feed inside; dead webbed clusters of needles visible at branch ends; repeated defoliation disfigures young trees and slows growth Spray Bt kurstaki or spinosad targeting young larvae in spring; remove and destroy webbed shoot clusters by hand on smaller trees; pheromone traps monitor adult emergence