What's eating my moonglow juniper?

Moonglow Juniper is prized for its silvery-blue color, which spider mites and scale insects dull first. Bagworms can devastate large sections of the broad pyramidal canopy if not caught early. Cedar-apple rust causes galls and branch dieback. Deer browse the foliage and may rub trunks, especially in rural gardens.

Foliage bags on branches; larvae feed inside, stripping needles and causing permanent dieback across sections of the canopy. Remove bags by hand in winter. Spray Bt or spinosad when larvae are young and bags are pea-sized in late May to early June.

Silvery-blue needles turn dull bronze or gray; fine webbing in inner canopy during hot dry periods. Overhead irrigation to reduce dust and heat stress; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil every 5–7 days for three treatments.

White crusting on bark and needles; progressive yellowing and twig dieback from the interior outward. Dormant horticultural oil spray; follow with insecticidal soap targeting first-generation crawlers in June.

Browsed branch tips and antler-rub damage to bark on the lower trunk, leading to bark wounds and possible disease entry. Deer-repellent sprays reapplied every 4 weeks; physical fencing or tree tubes on young specimens.