Question
I live in south central Florida on the east coast. I have a Young Laurel Oak (2 years old) about 15'-20' tall. It has been doing great with regular water, well drained and fed generic plant food (6-6-6) along with the rest of my landscaping. I noticed yesterday that the new growth is being chewed rather aggressively. The leaves show round holes through them or are totally chewed away. On closer inspection I did not see any type of webbing or sign of an actual insect. The leaves are either chewed through in multiple spots or the leaf is totally gone leaving just a remnant and a bare branch. The problem does not appear to be effcting the older less tender growth. Is there a way to control this pest?

Answer
If you did not see any insect on the leaves it is more than likely the life cycle has pasted the caterpillar stage and the insect has pupated and will not harm the tree any more this year. Next spring I would treat the tree with an insecticide called Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect control. This is applied to the soil around the tree and the roots will transport it to the leaves and when the insect feeds on the foliage they are killed. Check with your local garden type store for this product. The treatment will last season long. Here is a web link to this product.

http://www.bayeradvanced.com/tree-shrub-care/products/12-month-tree-shrub-insect...