If you’ve seen these tiny bags of silk, twigs, and leaves on trees like the ones on this arborvitae, BEWARE. There are 300-1,000 eggs in each pouch. In Illinois these bagworms hatch in mid to late June and control should begin in July so the caterpillar can fully emerge.
Once hatched, these little caterpillars climb high into trees or “balloon” into neighboring trees to start feeding at the top of the plant.
In short, bagworms can destroy even established trees.
In this video, Jeff McGee from F&W shows you what to look for as you examine your trees, especially your evergreens since losing the leaf can cause branches to die. Reach out ASAP if you see bagworms. We can help.
