What's eating my japanese camellia?

Japanese Camellia (Camellia japonica) is most seriously troubled by tea scale — the single biggest camellia pest worldwide. Vine weevil larvae destroy roots in containers, and aphids disfigure new growth. Scale causes yellow mottling on upper leaves and reduced flowering. Horticultural oil in late spring is the cornerstone control.

Tiny armoured scales encrust leaf undersides with white waxy threads; upper leaf surface develops yellow blotches. Heavy infestations thin the canopy, reduce blooms, and can cause long-term decline. Spray with horticultural oil (summer oil) when crawlers are active in late spring — coat leaf undersides thoroughly. Repeat in 3–4 weeks. Improve air circulation through selective pruning.

Adults notch leaf margins at night; larvae in the soil eat roots, causing wilting, yellowing, and sudden plant collapse — damage is most severe in container-grown camellias. Apply beneficial nematodes (Steinernema kraussei) to warm, moist compost in late summer. In the garden, encourage ground beetles. Use neonicotinoid-free biological controls wherever possible.

Cluster on new spring growth, causing curled and distorted leaves with honeydew that attracts ants and sooty mould on glossy camellia foliage. Blast off with water. Apply insecticidal soap spray to infested shoots. Ants farming aphids can be deterred with sticky barrier tape around the trunk.