What's eating my english yew bonsai?

English Yew Bonsai is most seriously damaged by vine weevil grubs eating the roots silently below soil level. Scale insects and mealybugs colonize the dense, slow-growing foliage. Deer are highly attracted to yew — even small outdoor displays require protection. Root damage often appears as sudden collapse with no above-ground warning.

Wilting or sudden die-back; white C-shaped grubs found in root zone; notched leaf edges from night-feeding adults Apply Steinernema kraussei nematodes to moist compost in late summer; use vine weevil-specific granule treatments in the pot

Hard or waxy bumps on stems and bark; yellowing foliage; sticky honeydew and sooty mold Scrub off with alcohol; apply horticultural oil spray in dormancy; monitor closely in spring

Woolly white deposits in foliage interior; honey-like stickiness; slow decline in pot Dab with alcohol-soaked cotton swab; neem oil or systemic insecticide spray; improve airflow

Significant foliage browsing — yew is one of deer's most preferred plants; branch breakage on small specimens Never place at deer height outdoors; wire mesh surround or repellent spray when in garden settings