What's eating my chinese hazel?

Chinese hazel is less commonly cultivated and pest documentation is limited, but it shares the hazel-family pest complex: hazel nut weevil targets the nuts, aphids colonize young growth, and squirrels compete for the crop. In its native range it faces additional bark borers. In cultivation, the same cultural controls used for other Corylus species apply.

Larvae tunnel inside nuts, consuming the kernel; exit holes in dropped nuts and hollow shells are the key sign. Collect and destroy fallen nuts promptly; kaolin clay spray at early nut development; cultivate under the canopy to expose soil-dwelling pupae.

Soft-bodied insects on young shoot undersides; honeydew supports sooty mould and attracts ants. Encourage natural predators; apply insecticidal soap to heavily affected shoots. Rarely requires intervention on mature trees.

Nuts stripped from branches before full maturity; loss can be total in woodland settings. Harvest promptly when husks begin to part; trunk baffles and netting on small or trained specimens.