What's eating my deodar cedar?

Deodar Cedar is most commonly damaged by deodar weevil and pine tip moth, which cause shoot dieback. Bark beetles attack drought-stressed specimens. Woolly aphids cluster on new growth, and spider mites bronze foliage in hot summers. Deer browse young plants. Good irrigation and avoiding compaction keep this tree largely pest-resistant.

Adults girdle shoot tips causing flagging (drooping, dead tips); larvae bore under bark of weakened branches; pitch-soaked entry holes; dieback of multiple leaders Prune and destroy infested flagged shoots well below damage; maintain irrigation to reduce drought stress which predisposes attack; no effective insecticide spray recommended for most landscapes

Larvae bore into and kill current-year shoot tips; dead tips turn brown and dry; multiple dead terminals disfigure young trees; repeated attack stunts growth Spray permethrin or spinosad targeting adult flight and egg hatch in early spring; prune destroyed tips; multiple generations per season may need multiple applications

Pitch tubes and boring dust on trunk; larvae kill cambium under bark; branch and crown death; attack typically follows drought stress, root damage, or recent transplant shock Water deeply and regularly during drought; avoid compaction near root zone; remove dying wood promptly; preventive pyrethroid bark sprays for recently transplanted specimens