Bagworms

[Sheal]

My son's shrubs are being invaded by Bagworms. Can anyone explain to me what they are please and how to get rid of them?

 

[Chuck]

My son's shrubs are being invaded by Bagworms. Can anyone explain to me what they are please and how to get rid of them?

There are different varieties of bagworms but most all of them prefer shrubs and deciduous trees. Unless you know when the moths will arrive and lay their eggs there isn't much you can do. About the only thing you can effectively do is to hand pick them and to rake up any fallen bags. The bags are basically impervious to insecticides. At different times the bags have either eggs inside of them or a caterpillar.

 

[Sheal]

Thanks Chuck. Apparently they've invaded most of my son's shrubs and trees. Will they kill the plants or is it a seasonal invasion that the plants will recover from?

 

[Chuck]

Thanks Chuck. Apparently they've invaded most of my son's shrubs and trees. Will they kill the plants or is it a seasonal invasion that the plants will recover from?

If the eggs are not removed they will be back and many many times the bagworms will kill a tree or shrub in time. Have your son go out with a pair of scissors and snip them off. He won't get all of them. Also rake up any that have fallen to the ground. Those eggs will become larvae. This is a long term problem and once you have an infestation of them they are difficult to eradicate and they will be back. A lot of folks in Texas just give up and change to plants which the bagworms don't like. Without knowing exactly which variety of bagworm it is it is just about impossible to tell you when to do anything. Just start spraying in the early spring and don't stop. Spray with both Neem and spinosad and just keep snipping them off.

 

[Sheal]

Thanks again Chuck. These things are working fast and have already destroyed a number of conifers.

 

[Chuck]

Thanks again Chuck. These things are working fast and have already destroyed a number of conifers.

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I wished there was something he could do but if there is I don't know about it.

 

[Sheal]

Thanks for your concern Chuck. Although they've lost five conifers and one slightly damaged, they (my son and his wife) only found one bagworm on another tree - an Acer. Hopefully they've got to them in time. My son has already cut the conifers down and will burn them later today.

 

[Pepperhead]

Saw this little guy crawling up one of my oak trees. Is this the same type of bug, and should I be removing any I find? I was super impressed at how it built a cocoon, and then drug itself to the top using it's mouth, so I just watched.

 

[Chuck]

Saw this little guy crawling up one of my oak trees. Is this the same type of bug, and should I be removing any I find? I was super impressed at how it built a cocoon, and then drug itself to the top using it's mouth, so I just watched.View attachment 61489View attachment 61490

Yep, that's the same although a different variety of the bagworm from the previous posts. On oak trees, unless very young, bagworms are not as serious a problem as on other types of trees but are still a serious problem and will over a period of time severely damage the tree. Read the link to understand more about this pest.

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landscapeipm.tamu.edu

 

[Pepperhead]

Awesome. Thanks for your advice and time! I will keep an eye on the Oak trees. I see that some attack cedars, which is a blessing here, because we are overrun with those here in the Hill Country.

 

[Chuck]

Awesome. Thanks for your advice and time! I will keep an eye on the Oak trees. I see that some attack cedars, which is a blessing here, because we are overrun with those here in the Hill Country.

I keep hoping that something will kill them. I have seen bagworms on many of the cedars I have but for some unknown reason they rarely damage them severely. During my lifetime I have only seen one instance where bagworms killed or severely damaged a mountain cedar tree and that was back in the late 1970's IIRC. Our cedars are known as mountain cedar but in reality are not cedars at all, they are junipers named Ashe Juniper. They are conifers but that is the only relationship between the two. Check out where Tarpley Tx is on the map

 

[Pepperhead]

I see that you are not far down the road near San Antonio. Sad to hear that the bagworms don't really kill the cedars, but that sounds just like a cedar tree now that I think of it. They are some hardcore trees.

 

[Chuck]

I see that you are not far down the road near San Antonio. Sad to hear that the bagworms don't really kill the cedars, but that sounds just like a cedar tree now that I think of it. They are some hardcore trees.

The only thing that I have seen kill a cedar is too much water

 

[Sheal]

Back to my son's issue with these if I may. He has discovered there are bagworms high up in four mature trees which he can't reach. Someone has quoted him $600 to remove them which I find expensive. I've asked him how they will be removed but he's currently commuting so I'll have a reply to that later. Your thoughts on the cost and if it's worth paying out for this would be appreciated please.

 

[Chuck]

Back to my son's issue with these if I may. He has discovered there are bagworms high up in four mature trees which he can't reach. Someone has quoted him $600 to remove them which I find expensive. I've asked him how they will be removed but he's currently commuting so I'll have a reply to that later. Your thoughts on the cost and if it's worth paying out for this would be appreciated please.

Have your son or someone research the life cycle of that particular worm. Each bagworm is specific to the tree in which it is located. Bagworms have different times in which they pupate, travel, feed etc. Bt will kill the worms when they are in the feeding stage. All your son has to do then is get a trombone sprayer or a good hose end sprayer and spray the entire tree. I don't know what kind of trees we are talking about but $600 is a good bit of money and I have never seen or heard of a guarantee with this type of endeavor. What are they gong to do? Climb up the tree and hand pick each bag. If so, then good luck with that. as it will be about impossible to get them all and of not entirely wiped out they'll be back. It would be cheaper to rent some scaffolding and pick them himself. $600 for 4 trees which no matter what will become infested in the future. If it were me I would figure out a way to spray at the correct time or pick off the bags myself ,or, to save money, time and effort, remove the trees and plant something the bagworms will not bother.