Bagworms feed on trees imitating the surroundings where they stay, looking like they don’t exist, and if you ignore the situation, they can even kill your tree.
Bagworms are Larvae that turn into moths after going through the pupal stage. This creature belongs to the family Psychidae.
So, go through this entire article to know about the Bagworms in detain and the failproof ways to get rid of them.
Table of Contents Show
What Do Bagworms Look Like?
Bagworm larvae are tiny 0.5-1-inch-long worms that lie on a variety of trees. Mostly, you can find them on evergreen trees.
These worms have grey and brown bodies, which are very soft to touch, just like a caterpillar. Moreover, they bear 6 small legs and two antennas.
Bagworms can imitate the color of the surroundings in which they live. So it’s very difficult to spot them immediately.
The name Bagworms is due to the bag-like bodies in which the larva stays and hangs on the branches. The bag can be of various colors depending on the color of the plant material.
Just like larvae, it’s difficult to spot the bags of Bagworms as they look just like plants or woods in the surroundings. You must inspect the trees carefully to identify them.
Do Bagworms Kill Trees?
Basically, Bagworms feed upon the sap of the leaves of trees. If the branches are green and delicate, these worms can damage them, too.
It isn’t a problem if the number of worms is small because the size of the tree is big, and the small harms do not cause significant damage.
However, if the population of the worms is very big, they can damage a large portion of the tree by feeding on them.
As a result, the tree cannot perform photosynthetic activities properly due to the damaged leaves. This creates a great problem in the food supply to different parts of the tree.
Moreover, the damaged tree becomes weak and susceptible to harmful diseases and pests. In severe conditions, Bagworms can also kill the trees.
The problem is even bigger if the worms pass the disease-causing pathogens to other trees and plants. Your whole garden can be at risk.
How To Get Rid Of Bagworms In A Tree?
Bagworms mostly choose evergreen trees as they do not shed their leaves completely, even during the fall. So, if you have evergreen trees in your lawn, inspect the tree regularly.
As Bagworms are risky, it’s better to take the appropriate control measures in time to protect your healthy and mature trees.
- Firstly, inspect the leaves and small branches for the spindle-shaped bags. The bags consist of silk embedded in plant material.
- If the infestation is small, handpick the bags and disposer of them in the proper place.
- For the heavy infestation, you must trim the heavily infected parts.
- The larvae of the Bagworms are vulnerable in late spring to early summer when the leaves are young. So make sure to monitor the trees during this time.
- If manual picking and pruning do not work, use insecticides and cover the whole tree.
- You can also use neem oil if you want chemical-free options.
- Regularly monitor the tree yearly as the worms can reappear next spring.
From Editorial Team
Additional Tips!
You can also use biological control methods to get rid of the irritating Bagworms from your trees. This method uses creatures that feed upon the Bagworms.
These creatures include Lacewings, parasitic wasps, nematodes, birds, fungus, bacteria, etc. These biological organisms can remove Bagworms effectively and naturally.
