The annual bagworm invasion arrives

The pesky, eyesore bagworms have begun to emerge from their eggs and will soon be noticed dangling from trees of all sorts of varieties. If left unchecked, the bagworms can prove hazardous to the health of the tree.

By

Around Town

June 15, 2021 - 9:40 AM

Bagworms are a nuisance for trees. Photo by Flickr.com

I scouted my bald cypress and sycamore trees last week looking for newly hatched bagworms. Unfortunately, I found what I was looking for. You have to really be looking in order to see bagworms right now because they are still small — about a quarter-inch in size.

Bagworms are a yearly pest in our area and can cause considerable damage. Most homeowners typically don’t get too concerned about bagworm control until they see large bags present on plants. By then it is too late and the damage is already done. 

Now is the time to treat.

Bagworms overwinter as eggs deposited in the female bags. From mid-May through mid-June, larvae hatch from the eggs and exit from the bottom opening of the old bag. Larvae begin constructing their miniature silk-lined bags immediately. Only after the bags have been completed do the larvae begin actual feeding activities. And as the larvae grow, so do their bags. By mid-to late August when feeding activities are complete, larvae firmly anchor their bags to the twigs and branches on which they were feeding.  

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