What's eating my western red cedar?

Western Red Cedar is most commonly damaged by bagworms in its cultivated range and by leaf miners in the UK and Pacific Northwest. Scale insects colonize stems and foliage. Cedar-apple rust affects plants growing near juniper hosts. Deer frequently browse the aromatic foliage in winter, and rabbits can ring-bark young trees.

Larvae build 1–2 inch spindle-shaped bags from foliage and silk; feeding strips foliage from branch tips; heavy infestations can defoliate and kill branches or entire plants, especially on small trees Hand-pick and destroy bags in winter and early spring before eggs hatch; spray Btk at larval hatch (late May–June) while larvae are small; spinosad for heavier infestations

Larvae mine inside scale-like foliage, causing it to turn brown from the tips; affected sprays look scorched; damage often mistaken for winter burn or drought Apply insecticidal soap or spinosad spray in late May when adult moths are active; prune and destroy mined shoot tips in late winter; systemic imidacloprid for persistent infestations

Soft, hemispherical brown scales cluster on foliage stems and branch undersides, secreting honeydew that supports sooty mold; heavy infestations cause foliage yellowing and dieback Apply horticultural oil in late winter (dormant spray) or at crawler emergence in early summer; systemic neonicotinoid (dinotefuran) for established infestations; remove isolated scale clusters by pruning

Deer consume the aromatic foliage heavily, particularly in winter; antler rubbing strips bark from lower trunks; repeated browsing can permanently stunt the lower canopy of young trees Install sturdy tree tubes or wire cages for young trees; apply repellent sprays containing putrescent egg solids; 8-foot fencing for high-deer-pressure sites