What's eating my japanese larch?

Japanese Larch (Larix kaempferi) faces larch adelgids and aphids as the primary pests — these sap-suckers cause needle yellowing and woolly galls. Larch casebearer moth larvae mine needles. Deer damage is significant on young trees and bonsai. Larch bark beetle can kill weakened specimens, especially in drought-stressed trees.

Small woolly white tufts at needle bases and on shoots in spring; needles yellow and drop prematurely; pineapple-shaped galls may form where adelgids over-winter on spruce hosts Apply insecticidal soap or horticultural oil in late winter/early spring before egg hatch; spray acetamiprid or imidacloprid for heavy infestations; encourage beneficial insects

Needles turn brown from the tip ('shot-hole' appearance); small brown cases of silk and frass visible on shoots; heavy infestations weaken the tree significantly Collect and destroy fallen needles in autumn; parasitic wasps provide good natural control — avoid broad-spectrum sprays; targeted pyrethroid in early spring if needed

Galleries under bark on weakened stems; bark crumbles away; pitch tubes or resin bleeding on trunk; rapid death of affected sections Keep trees vigorous through adequate watering and feeding; remove and destroy infested branches promptly; do not leave felled larch material lying around; no chemical cure once inside bark

Leading shoots bitten off; bark stripped at the base; antler fraying wounds that allow fungal entry Tree guards to 1.5 m; wire mesh around bonsai display areas; deer-repellent sprays reapplied regularly