Bagworms are devastating pests of deciduous trees (those which lose their leaves annually in fall and regrowth in spring) and evergreen trees, as well as smaller shrubs.
Chemical Treatment
Source: thegoodearthgarden.com
Chemical treatments of bagworms are one of the most efficient and common ways of eliminating this pest. When applied early and frequently enough, an insecticide will stop caterpillars before they damage plants or cause other forms of destruction.
Utilizing bifenthrin or pyrethrin-based insecticides inside your house is another effective solution to eliminating bagworms, while protecting the health and welfare of you, your family, pets and children. These pesticides will effectively kill bagworms without endangering anyone’s wellbeing or that of their immediate environment.
For optimal protection of your property from bagworms, inspect all trees and shrubs during spring for their presence. Look out for small bags attached to leaves of deciduous trees such as oak and maple as well as evergreen species such as pine needles, junipers, arborvitae, Cyprus cedar or spruce that measure 1/8th to 1/4 inch wide – these could be bagworms!
Larvae can cause significant damage to deciduous trees while conifers tend to be more resistant. You should expect deciduous trees affected by this damage to recover within three to four weeks depending on their species of plant.
Your evergreens may never fully recover as bagworms feed on so much foliage it could kill the tree or shrub.
At least, many species of tree and shrub can recover from heavy infestation, provided they receive proper care. When treating an infestation, it is vital that as many eggs as possible are removed in order to keep the population under control.
Additionally, it’s essential to apply insecticide to trees and shrubs when they’re still young and in the feeding stage, since older worms may be harder to manage than their younger counterparts. To maximize effectiveness of your application, target bagworms measuring between 1/8th inch and 1/4 inches long.
Neem Oil Treatment
Source: ridmycritters.com
Neem oil is an eco-friendly way to manage bagworm infestation. The active ingredient, azadirachtin, interferes with insects’ reproductive cycles by interrupting their molting and reproduction cycles – this makes Neem an effective and safe solution to keep bagworms away from plants and fruit trees.
Additionally, it works as a repellent. For optimal use, combine it with other pest control measures.
Additionally, Neem has been shown to effectively eliminate certain strains of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which cause mastitis in cows. Furthermore, Neem can help control salmonella infection in poultry and livestock settings as well as having anti-inflammatory properties for dogs.
Neem oil can also be an effective treatment for skin diseases and burns. It can treat boils, ulcers and eczema effectively while being an excellent remedy against ringworm, athlete’s foot and nail infections. You can click here: http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/neemgen.html for more information.
Neem oil can also help protect fruit trees and berries from pests by adding it directly into the soil or spraying it directly on fruit before it ripens – either of these methods will help avoid verticillium wilt and orange rust outbreaks.
Neem oil can be combined with liquid dish soap and water to form a spray that is ideal for many garden plants, particularly evergreens and delicate herbs.
Physical Removal
Source: treenewal.com
If your yard has become infested with evergreen bagworms, physical removal is the best approach for eliminating them. To do this effectively during summertime, inspect trees for cocoon-shaped structures measuring approximately one inch (2.5 cm). Take action by physically extracting these cocoons before disposing of them in soapy water to eradicate all remaining bagworms for good.
An organic pesticide, Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki, can also be applied directly to deciduous trees as an effective and safe treatment against young larvae and can even be safely applied near water sources. You can visit this site for more information on this chemical.
Pesticide application should occur before larvae have hatched or have reached more than one inch (2.5 cm). This is the most effective approach as you’re targeting them before they have had time to feed on food sources and expand in size.
An effective way to limit evergreen bagworm numbers is preventing them from overwintering in the fluffy bags they produce in fall, which are easily identifiable as furry brown cones dangling from trees and contain hundreds of eggs that will hatch come springtime.
After hatching, bagworm larvae create silken bags which they attach to nearby branches using leaves, twigs and plant debris from host plants they feed upon. As spring arrives, these silk sacks will continue to expand with more debris from host plants added each season by feeding worms themselves; eventually these new bags may also attach themselves to other trees nearby.
It can be difficult to manage an infestation. This is why many choose to call an arborist as soon as they see the first signs of a bagworm presence. These experts can ensure a positive outcome.
Bagworm larvae feed on the foliage of evergreens like red cedar, juniper, arborvitae, spruce pine and cypress; but can also infest deciduous trees such as oak, sycamore, willow and poplar trees – slowing their growth while diminishing windbreak values as well as aesthetic value.
Emergence of young larvae is often the clearest sign of infestation; other symptoms may include leaf damage, dead or dying needles and brown spots on bark that indicate bagworm infestation and require attention.
