Arizona Cypress Decline: Tip Moth & Spider Webs

Question: 6 Arizona cypress (planted 2006) thriving until this year. One died: brown tips falling off, tree shrank. Others healthy. Spider webs at base; tiny white moths seen. Sprayed insecticidal soap. What else?

Answer: Likely Tip Moth on Stressed Tree—Others Probably Fine

Dead Tree

• Tip moth larvae kill branch tips on stressed trees
• This tree likely had underlying stress (root, soil, water)
• No treatment needed post-death

Surviving Trees

• If green & healthy: do not spray
• Spider webs at trunk base = harmless (catch insects)
• Tiny moths = likely non-pest species (hundreds exist)
• Insecticidal soap wasted money; no damage = no spray

Monitoring

Watch for caterpillar feeding on foliage. If none, enjoy healthy trees. Spraying preventatively harms beneficials and wastes resources.