Jenny wrote:

Location: Western Massachusetts, close to VT/NH border. Zone 5 but barely.
Soil Ph slightly acid. In addition, I mulched with coffee grounds last
year.
Moistu It rained all last summer and fall and we had snow cover all
winter. However, the drainage is very good where these were planted
since it is the foundation and there are curtain drains underneath.

Most rhododendrons including chionoides are acid loving plants. Your
soil may be slightly acidic, but near a foundation it will be alkaline
due to the lime in the foundation. Wet conditions on an unhappy plant
will make it susceptible to most anything. The plant should thrive if
given more sun and acidic soil. When healthy they transplant very
easily. They have very shallow roots.

The bugs were in the soil already, either in the soil from the garden
center or your soil. Weevils live in the ground but come out at night
and chew on the edges of the leaves. This is a very common problem in
many areas.
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Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA Zone 6