What's eating my eastern red cedar?

Eastern Red Cedar's most serious pest is cedar-apple rust, a fungal disease requiring both juniper and apple/crabapple hosts; orange spore horns appear on galls after rain. Bagworms are the worst insect threat, defoliating branches inside silk bags. Spider mites and juniper scale also occur, especially on stressed trees.

Foliage consumed inside spindle-shaped silk bags covered in plant debris; branches defoliate and die; heavy infestations kill entire trees over 2–3 seasons. Hand-pick and destroy bags in winter before eggs hatch; spray young larvae (early June) with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) or spinosad; do not compost removed bags.

Orange gelatinous horn-like spore tendrils erupt from brown galls on twigs after spring rain; galls swell to golf-ball size; causes twig dieback. Remove galls before spore horns appear (late winter); apply preventive fungicide (myclobutanil or propiconazole) in spring; avoid planting near apple or crabapple trees.

Fine stippling and bronzing of foliage; dusty, dull appearance; webbing in severe cases; worst during hot, dry summers. Spray foliage with a forceful water stream; apply miticide or neem oil covering all surfaces; ensure adequate soil moisture as drought stresses trees and worsens mite outbreaks.

Crusty white scales on stems and foliage cause yellowing and shoot dieback; ants and sooty mould may be secondary signs. Apply dormant horticultural oil spray before bud break; targeted systemic insecticide (imidacloprid) for persistent infestations; prune heavily infested branches.