- Bagworms are caterpillars or the larvae of a moth native to Pennsylvania. The adult moth is brown and hairy with clear wings. The grub-like females do not have wings and have small, useless legs. The pest eggs are yellow and oblong, hatching into ¾ to 2-inch-long larvae with dark posteriors and heads. The pests spend their pupal stage inside the bags that they weave on the trees. The pupa is dark brown in color.
- Hosts of the bagworm include more than 100 different types of plants. The pests are most frequently seen on conifers, especially arborvitae. Other broadleaf and deciduous trees commonly infested include boxelder, willow, linden, poplar, oak, apple, wild cherry, persimmon, sycamore and black locust.
- The presence of bagworms on affected trees is characterized by the bags that the larvae weave with their silk to feed and pupate within. The bags are nearly 2 inches long and ½ inch wide, and also contain twig and bark pieces in the construction. Bagworms have chewing mouthparts that they use to feed on foliage. Mature larvae eat entire leaves, leaving only the main veins. Severe infestation and defoliation can kill conifers. As they feed, the caterpillars are often seen hanging from trees with their legs or with silken threads.
- Monitor trees for the presence of bags during fall, winter and early spring. The pests have not hatched at this time and manually removing the egg-filled bags helps to reduce the pest population. Pick off these bags and destroy them. Use insecticides on very young larvae for best control. Use chemical products at the time when the larvae are just hatching. Mature bagworm larvae are very hard to control. Insecticides for bagworms include cyfluthrin, imidacloprid, deltamethrin or malathion.
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