What's eating my mexican cypress?

Mexican Cypress faces the same bark canker and bark beetle complex as other cypress species, often made worse by drought stress. Conifer aphids cluster on young growth, and bagworms can defoliate branches. Deer may browse young trees. Maintaining tree vigor through irrigation is the first line of defense.

Resinous cankers girdling branches; foliage on affected limbs browns and dies; dark lesions visible under stripped bark; progressive whole-tree decline Prune infected limbs below canker margins; sterilize tools; remove all prunings from site; no curative fungicide — focus on preventing wounds and maintaining vigor

Entry holes with pitch tubes on trunk and major limbs; larval galleries under bark; branch death; involved in canker pathogen transmission Remove and destroy dead wood; keep trees well-watered during drought; pyrethroid bark sprays as preventive on high-value specimens

Large colonies on twigs; honeydew drip causes sooty mold; weakened shoot tips; heavy infestations stunt young trees Insecticidal soap or neem oil sprays; blast with water; encourage natural enemies; systemic imidacloprid as last resort for severe infestations