What's eating my japanese laurel?

Japanese Laurel grown indoors or in a sheltered shady spot is most troubled by scale insects, which cling to stems and cause yellowing leaves. Mealybugs can colonize stem joints, and vine weevil grubs attack roots when grown in pots. Wipe scale off with soapy water and apply horticultural oil; use nematodes for vine weevil in containers.

Brown oval bumps stuck firmly to stems and the underside of leaves; plants lose vigor, leaves yellow and drop, and honeydew deposits encourage sooty mold on the glossy surfaces. Scrub light infestations off with a soft brush or cloth dipped in soapy water. Apply horticultural oil or insecticidal soap to all stem surfaces to smother remaining crawlers; repeat in 2–3 weeks.

White cottony wax in stem joints and leaf axils; feeding weakens the plant and leaves a sticky honeydew residue; damage worsens in warm indoor conditions over winter. Dab individual bugs with a cotton swab soaked in 70% isopropyl alcohol. Spray the whole plant with neem oil solution weekly for 4–6 weeks. Inspect new plants before bringing indoors.

Adult beetles notch leaf margins in irregular scalloped patterns at night; white C-shaped grubs in the compost devour roots, causing sudden wilting and collapse in potted specimens. Apply Steinernema kraussei nematodes to moist compost in late summer or autumn when soil is above 5°C (41°F). Remove and inspect root balls of wilting plants. Use vine-weevil-proof gravel mulch and check for adults at night.