Pest identification
What's eating my japanese maple 'bloodgood'?
Aphids (especially maple aphid, Periphyllus spp.)
Signs: Dense colonies on tender new red leaves in spring; leaves curl and distort; honeydew coats surfaces and fosters sooty mold.
Control: Spray with strong water jet or insecticidal soap; introduce lacewings and ladybugs; avoid excess nitrogen fertilizer that produces the soft growth aphids prefer.
Scale insects (cottony maple scale, oystershell scale)
Signs: Waxy or cottony bumps on twigs and branches; weakened growth, twig dieback, and honeydew production.
Control: Apply dormant horticultural oil before bud break; treat crawlers with insecticidal soap in late spring.
Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica)
Signs: Adults skeletonize leaves in midsummer, leaving brown lacy tissue; they are attracted to sun-exposed upper foliage.
Control: Hand-pick in early morning; apply neem oil as feeding deterrent; use milky spore in surrounding turf.
Keep japanese maple 'bloodgood' pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
- What eats japanese maple — the species this cultivar belongs to
- What's wrong with my plant? — the diagnosis apps compared
- Common japanese maple 'bloodgood' problems & fixes
- Japanese Maple 'Bloodgood' watering schedule
- Japanese Maple 'Bloodgood' light requirements
- Full japanese maple 'bloodgood' care guide
Japanese Maple 'Bloodgood' pests — FAQ
What is eating my japanese maple 'bloodgood'?
Japanese Maple 'Bloodgood' grown as a container tropical or garden specimen is most commonly attacked by aphids and scale insects, with Japanese beetles and borers as additional threats. Deer browse young growth. Aphids target the delicate new red leaves in spring, and colonies can distort foliage significantly before predators arrive to suppress them.
How do I get rid of aphids (especially maple aphid, periphyllus spp.) on japanese maple 'bloodgood'?
Dense colonies on tender new red leaves in spring; leaves curl and distort; honeydew coats surfaces and fosters sooty mold. Spray with strong water jet or insecticidal soap; introduce lacewings and ladybugs; avoid excess nitrogen fertilizer that produces the soft growth aphids prefer.
How do I get rid of scale insects (cottony maple scale, oystershell scale) on japanese maple 'bloodgood'?
Waxy or cottony bumps on twigs and branches; weakened growth, twig dieback, and honeydew production. Apply dormant horticultural oil before bud break; treat crawlers with insecticidal soap in late spring.
How do I get rid of japanese beetle (popillia japonica) on japanese maple 'bloodgood'?
Adults skeletonize leaves in midsummer, leaving brown lacy tissue; they are attracted to sun-exposed upper foliage. Hand-pick in early morning; apply neem oil as feeding deterrent; use milky spore in surrounding turf.