While there are many pests you encounter around your New Braunfels property that you can easily recognize, there are others you probably haven’t heard of before. Certain pests such as ants, flies, spiders, and rodents are extremely common, but there are other area pests that can still cause issues for home and business owners.
One of these problem pests is the bagworm. Given their name, you might imagine that they are some type of strange worm, but they are actually a type of moth. However, at their larval (caterpillar) phase of life, they are rather worm-like. They are commonly found on many different varieties of coniferous and deciduous trees, but often prefer junipers. When they are in the caterpillar stage, they are about ⅛ to ¼ of an inch long and dark brown in color.
Larval bagworms create a casing covered with leaves from the plant they are living in, and they use a thread to bind these leaves together to make a bag, which is where they get their name. This makes them extremely difficult to spot, as their cocoons will look very different depending on what type of plant they are living in.
Signs You Have Bagworms
Since it can be difficult to spot these pests, there are other signs you can look out for to identify a bagworm infestation. The main sign of these pests is obvious changes in the appearance of evergreen plants, which can become pale and start to die quickly. In addition, the leaves might turn brown and needles may begin to fall. If you notice this happening, you can check for small, hanging “bags” to confirm an infestation.
How Much Damage Can Bagworms Cause?
During the larval stage, bagworms are feeding on their host plants as much as possible to get big enough to build their cocoons and turn into moths. This process takes around three months, and the damage can be severe, depending on how large the infestation is.
They tend to begin destroying plants from the top to the bottom, and they will destroy leaves and needles. This can lead to plants becoming completely bare, dead branches, or completely dead plants. While the amount of destruction to landscaping will vary depending on how bad the infestation is, bagworms can easily destroy many types of trees and bushes.
Is It Easy To Prevent Bagworms?
Since these pests can be very destructive, you’re likely wondering how you can prevent them from becoming a problem. Unfortunately, they are a difficult pest to control. For one thing, the caterpillars often require strong insecticides to be eliminated, and many of these are dangerous to apply on your own.
The best way to keep a bagworm infestation under control is to remove and destroy any of the bags you find on trees. As each bag can contain hundreds of eggs, this is key to keeping the infestation from growing. However, while this isn’t too difficult on small plants or those that don’t grow too high, it can be hard to do on your own when larger trees are infested.
Get Help With Bagworm Problems
If you have bagworms on your New Braunfels property and aren’t sure how to get rid of them, you don’t have to deal with these issues on your own. The expert team at Pinnacle Pest Defense is here to provide advice and assistance. We have over 60 years of combined experience providing residential and commercial pest control, and you can count on our great customer service at low prices. To find out more, or to get a free inspection, contact us today.
