What's eating my fuchsia magellanica?

Fuchsia magellanica is most seriously damaged by fuchsia gall mite, which causes grotesque distortion of growing tips. Aphids, vine weevil grubs, and capsid bugs are additional common threats. In the UK, fuchsia gall mite has spread significantly since the 1990s and is now the dominant concern for growers.

Severely distorted, hairy, reddened shoot tips and flowers that fail to open; affected tissue must be removed Prune out all distorted growth well below infection and destroy it; spray with abamectin or bifenazate; choose resistant cultivars where available

Clustered colonies on young shoots and buds causing curling and bud drop; sticky honeydew deposits Remove by hand or water jet; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil spray; encourage natural predators

Grubs eat roots causing wilting; adults notch leaf edges at night Apply nematode drenches (Steinernema kraussei) in late summer; use vine weevil killer drench in pots

Small irregular holes and brown spots on young leaves and buds; distorted growth tips Difficult to spray as they move fast; apply pyrethrin or bifenthrin at dusk when bugs are less active