Bag worms

[Guest GunTroll]

I know there is at least one of you out there that that has experience with them. What do you use to kill them? I have an evergreen tree that is tore up with them. I scoured the net and have read recommendations. Just thought I'd see what a "local" is doing/using. Waaaaay to many to pick off by hand. I just figured out why my tree is looking so...dead. I still have some green on it so I figured it isn't to late. I wish I would have figured this out earlier....I attributed its brownness to lack of good rain this summer. Curse you TN bugs!

Anyone?

This is what it looks like for you that don't know..

[Bubba0031]

This isn't what you want to hear but the only way to deal with them that I have ever found is the aforementioned hand picking:-\

[Guest GunTroll]

Yep, that is not what I wanted to here. I was hoping there was something to spray on the tree that would melt them into a puddle of slime without hurting the tree of course .

Its a full time job killing bugs here in TN!

[Guest GT_Rat]

I used Ortho Home Defense on mine. Killed em dead. My shrubs are finally recovering.

[Bubba0031]

RAT Thanks and Help OK you got mine and Troll's attention. Did you just spray the indiviual bag and if so did they fall off, did you spray the whole tree/bush and did they fall off or did you spray them they died but the bag stayed? Tell us more.

[Guest justluck]

Sevin works. Use the spray. I use it on the tomatoes for garden pests and the cedars/junipers for bagworms. The worm dies, the bag stays in place but when the tree fills out again, you'll not notice them.

Edited September 22, 2011 by justluck

[kieefer]

I cut mine down, problem solved.

[Guest pfries]

I used Ortho Home Defense on mine. Killed em dead. My shrubs are finally recovering.

^^^THIS^^^

I did the same works like a charm on them and on the tent worms.

I hit the bag, main limbs and trunk dead within a day I did a second application just to be sure.

[Guest GunTroll]

Did the Sevin today...tomorrow the Ortho.....one will do something. I see there is some sort of product you can pour on the roots system in the spring when the roots take to drawing up water that is highly recommended as well. A Bayer product I believe.

Thanks fellas!

[dlm37015]

pick them use them for fishing

[Dad03]

I dealt with this last year. I was told once they make the bag no treatment will penetrate the bag to kill them. If you spray you may get some when they come out to eat the leaves. Hand picking is the most effective way. I had 21 evergreens affected by them so handpicking was not an option I was willing to take. I sprayed malathion and it seemed to drop a bunch. They only devastated 1 tree and it is on its way back to green this year.

This year I got out ahead of time and sprayed malathion before they came. Not one bag worm this year!

Key is to spray before they come.

Edited September 23, 2011 by Dad03

[Caster]

The cleansing power of fire.

[Guest GunTroll]

I like the tree.

[monkeylizard]

Stop by your friendly local Co-Op and follow Dad03's advice. Get some Malathion....great stuff.

You have to spray them before they lock themselves up in their bags for the winter. You'll be able to see the bags twitching and their little grubby mouths sticking out the tops of the bags if they're still feeding. Otherwise, the spray won't do much good.

After they're all dead, you still have to pull them off by hand if you want the tree/bush to look right again.

[kieefer]

Malathion is what I used before I cut my pair down. As said, spray them early in the spring.

Now that I think about it, I cut them down not only because of spraying them each year but also they got too big.

[Guest GT_Rat]

RAT Thanks and Help OK you got mine and Troll's attention. Did you just spray the indiviual bag and if so did they fall off, did you spray the whole tree/bush and did they fall off or did you spray them they died but the bag stayed? Tell us more.

I sprayed the whole bush down. Made an effort to hit each bag that I could see. They were dead within the day I believe. No ill effects to the bush (at least that was distinguishable from the damage done by the worms). If you can get Malathion that is what my former neighbor recommended, though I think that is hard to get these days. Former neighbor was an agricultural professional that recently moved to Idaho to CEO a seed/feed company.

After they died the bag stays since it's just the leaf/needle/whatever of the tree/bush the worm is in. I figure they'll fall off on their own as the bush regrows.

[Alleycat72]

.22LR

[monkeylizard]

If you can get Malathion that is what my former neighbor recommended, though I think that is hard to get these days.

After they died the bag stays since it's just the leaf/needle/whatever of the tree/bush the worm is in. I figure they'll fall off on their own as the bush regrows.

Go to your local CO-OP for Malathion. Tractor Supply may have it too. I've never seen the bags fall off as the plant grows. They're stuck on pretty good.

If they've already gone dormant, I'd say pull the bags off and burn them. Then spray the bush down really well with the malathion. Hit it again in the early spring. Malathion works well against most bugs. While you have the sprayer loaded up and messy, you may as well make a pass around the perimeter of your house. It keeps silverfish, centipedes, spiders, and more away. The only downside I know of to malathion is the smell.....rotten eggs while spraying, but it goes away as it dries.

Edited September 26, 2011 by monkeylizard

[Guest GunTroll]

Thanks guys. I'm on it!