What's eating my blue star juniper?

Blue Star Juniper's dense, prickly blue foliage is most commonly attacked by spider mites in hot, dry conditions, turning foliage from silver-blue to rusty brown. Juniper scale insects encrust stems. Bagworms can attach to the compact mounds. Deer and rabbits occasionally browse young plants. Keep well-watered and apply horticultural oil in spring.

Rusty-brown discolouration of silver-blue foliage from the inside out; webbing in dry periods Water plant deeply and regularly; apply horticultural oil or miticide, repeating at 7-day intervals

White crusty scale on stems; yellowing needles and progressive twig dieback Horticultural oil spray in early spring; remove and dispose of heavily encrusted stems

Silk bags attached among dense foliage; shoot tip defoliation Hand-pick bags in autumn/winter; apply Bt when larvae emerge in late spring

Gnawing of young stems and foliage near ground level on newly planted specimens Wire mesh guards around the base; rabbit repellent spray reapplied after rain