What's eating my sierra juniper?

Sierra Juniper is vulnerable to juniper scale, bagworms, and spider mites in both garden and bonsai settings. Aphids can colonize growing tips in spring. Deer and rabbits browse foliage on young unprotected trees. Spider mites and scale are the most damaging recurring threats in hot, dry Western climates where this species is native.

Armored scale on bark and foliage causes yellowing, dieback of branch tips, and overall decline Spray with horticultural oil at dormancy; scrub scale off with a soft brush; apply systemic insecticide for large trees

Stippled, dull foliage with fine webbing; rapid damage in hot dry summers typical of Sierra Nevada climates Water plants adequately to reduce heat stress; spray foliage with water; use neem oil or miticide if damage worsens

Bags of silk and plant material on branches; larvae defoliate affected sections, leaving bare dead stems Remove bags by hand in fall and winter; treat with Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) in late spring when larvae are small