Bagworm Treatment

As the calendar turns June and July, one pest to be on the lookout for is bagworms. Bagworms hatch out in late May or early June each year, slowly feeding and building a bag around themselves for protection. You may not have noticed them yet but they are certainly out there. They start very small(1/4”-1/2”) in length but by the middle of August, they will grow to between 2-3 inches.

We see bagworms on lots of varieties of trees, shrubs and groundcover, deciduous and conifer alike.  The major threat they pose is to evergreens. A heavy infestation may strip a blue spruce, arborvitae or cedar in a couple of weeks. A lighter infestation may appear as a brown spot on a tree or shrub, possibly mistaken for drought conditions but by the time the bagworms reach the end of summer, could defoliate large portions of an evergreen.

It is important to either pick off the bags when they are small (usually June) or have them treated to kill the bagworms present. We are able to treat trees 30+ feet and below and usually one treatment will suffice for the season. Call us today if you have sensitive trees or shrubs that might be susceptible to bagworms. 785-539-1799 or 785-238-2647