What's eating my weigela 'wine & roses'?

Weigela 'Wine & Roses' is primarily attacked by aphids and Japanese beetles, with sawfly larvae and spider mites as secondary threats. Japanese beetles skeletonize foliage rapidly in midsummer. Good air circulation, proper watering, and prompt hand-picking or trapping keep populations manageable in most garden settings.

Adults skeletonize leaves, leaving lacy brown tissue; they feed in clusters and can strip branches quickly in midsummer. Hand-pick adults into soapy water in the morning; use row covers during peak flight; apply milky spore or beneficial nematodes to soil to target grubs.

Clusters on tender new shoots cause distorted, curled growth and sticky honeydew that attracts ants and fosters sooty mold. Spray with water to dislodge; apply insecticidal soap; attract parasitic wasps by planting nearby nectar plants.

Fine stippling on leaves; webbing on undersides during hot, dry spells; leaves turn yellow and drop. Keep plants well watered; spray foliage with water; apply horticultural oil or miticide if populations explode.