Bag Worms

Summary: Bagworm is a serious pest, capable of rapid buildup and doing extensive damage to arborvitae, red cedar, elm, maple, oak, birch and many other trees. Bagworm is most often seen hiding in its spindle-shaped silk bag covered with bits of foliage, bark and other debris Bagworm can be found in the eastern United States from New England to Nebraska and south through Texas .

A reader pleads: Help! I have an infestation of something on my juniper shrubs.  I've noticed that our shrubs around our pool are dying. It looks like part of the shrubs have little bags and inside is some kind of catepillar. What can I do?

Dear Reader: Bagworms are caterpillars that make distinctive spindle-shaped bags on a variety of trees and shrubs. They are found in the eastern United States from New England to Nebraska and south through Texas. The larvae can be found on many trees and shrubs including pine, spruce, cypress, juniper, willow, black locust, sycamore, apple, maple, elm, poplar, oak, and birch. Large populations of bagworms can strip plants of their foliage and eventually cause them to die.
 
If you find only a few small trees or shrubs that have been infested you can

remove the bags by hand and throw them away. But, if bag worms are all over your shrubs you may need a pesticide to do the trick.  Timing is everything. The best time to treat is while the larvae are less than a half inch long. The smaller the larvae the more susceptible they are to an insecticide treatment. But, smaller larvae are also harder to see.
 
Products registered for bagworm control are: Orthene, Talstar, Sevin, Tempo, Mavrik, Pounce, plus others. I suggest going to your local lawn and garden store to speak with someone who really sounds like they know how to properly treat plants and shrubs. Bring a specimen of the bag worm to show them what you have found.

Like I tell everyone. Read the entire label and closely follow the label directions.