Bagworms - Now is the Time

Now is the time to check your evergreen trees and shrubs for bagworms.  If you have a bad enough infestation, they can damage or destroy your tree, so it is important to remove them before this happens.

Bagworm eggs spend the winter in structures that look a bit like pine cones.  Here is a picture of one.  Removing them from your tree in the fall or winter is an effective means to control them.  If you wait until the caterpillars hatch you will need to use insecticide to kill them.  Once you remove the bags, do not drop them on the ground because you risk the caterpillars surviving and returning to your tree.  Submerging them in a bucket of soapy water is a better way to kill the eggs.

Check your trees periodically to ensure you have removed all of the bags.  It is easy to overlook one, so going back over the trees will help you get them all!