Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Kill Bagworms on Evergreens
How to Kill Bagworms on Evergreens. A heavy infestation of bagworms can defoliate a shrub and seriously damage a tree. The tiny caterpillars are hard to see and their 1 1/2- to 2-inch bags are camouflaged because they are made from parts of the plant. They may look like pine cones or other plant structures. Bagworm eggs overwinter in the bags, so...
A heavy infestation of bagworms can defoliate a shrub and seriously damage a tree. The tiny caterpillars are hard to see and their 1 1/2- to 2-inch bags are camouflaged because they are made from parts of the plant. They may look like pine cones or other plant structures. Bagworm eggs overwinter in the bags, so removing the bags in winter is an effective method of control. Once they hatch, use insecticides to kill the caterpillars.
Things You'll Need
Gloves (optional)
Pail of soapy water
Insecticide
Winter or Early Spring
Pick the 1 1/2- to 2-inch spindle-shaped bags from the shrub.
Remove the bags and immerse them into a pail of soapy water to kill the eggs. Dropping them on the ground may allow some of the caterpillars to hatch and return to the host plant.
Search carefully for additional bags hanging from limbs and twigs. It is important to find them all. Each bag that remains on the evergreen allows hundreds of eggs to hatch into hungry caterpillars.
Middle to Late Spring
Apply insecticides early in the season when the bags are less than 1/2 inch long. Young bagworms are easier to kill than older ones, and killing them early prevents damage. Young bagworms are difficult to see, but if bags are present, you know you have caterpillars.
Find an insecticide labeled for use against bagworms. The University of Nebraska recommends low-risk insecticides containing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), neem oil or spinosad early in the season. For older bagworms, use an instecticide containing permethrin, acephate, bifenthrin, carbaryl, cyfluthrin, dimethoate, esfenvalerate, fluvalinate, malathion or tebufenozide.
Apply the insecticide according to the label instructions.
Tips & Warnings
Handpicking the bags is impractical when the host plant is a large tree. Use insecticides in spring instead.
Always store insecticides in their original container and out of the reach of children. Carefully read and follow the label instructions.
Make sure the insecticide you choose is safe for the plant you are treating. If in doubt, test the product on a small area before treating the entire plant.
