New Braunfels is a fast-growing city in Texas with a reputation for being a great place to live. It is at the edge of the Texas Hill Country, close to Austin and San Antonio. With parks seemingly around every corner, the landscape is lush and beautiful. One insect that can put a damper on landscaping is the bagworm. Without expert pest control in New Braunfels, these tiny caterpillars can cause landscaped properties to appear tired and sickly.
What Are Bagworms?
Bagworms are not worms at all; this unique insect is actually a caterpillar. This caterpillar lives in a silken bag mixed with bits of twigs and leaves. Bagworms have a chubby body with a pale yellowish coloration and black blotches; they can grow to about 1½ inches long in adulthood. Eggs laid by females typically emerge as larvae in late May/early July. The tiny caterpillars (1/25 of an inch) use a silken strand to “fly” to new foliage (ballooning) and begin the construction of a spindle-type (like a cone) bag to protect themselves from predators while they eat. Bagworms start stripping trees and shrubs of their leaves or needles by pushing their heads and legs out of their bags. As bagworms mature, their bags expand, lengthening up to two inches when fully grown. If these caterpillars feed unabated, they can cause considerable damage to properties.
How Much Damage Can Bagworms Do In My Yard?
Bagworms are considered a serious pest. These destructive caterpillars can spread quickly and defoliate plants. Some say over 128 different trees and shrubs are on their menu. Young larvae inflict injury to a plant by feeding off of leaves and needles. Sometimes they leave small holes in the foliage that help indicate their presence. Adult caterpillars often remove the significant veins in leaves. Bagworms typically feed on ornamental/timber-producing evergreen trees. Conifer (cone-bearing) plants are especially vulnerable to bagworms because once complete defoliation occurs, foliage won’t regrow, resulting in the death of the plant.
Other deciduous (plants that lose their leaves every year) trees and shrubs are not immune; their only advantage is that they can usually refoliate. Since signs of a bagworm infestation can be challenging to spot, it takes careful examination on a routine basis to head off serious problems. Saving your trees and shrubs comes down to early detection. With the help of Pinnacle Pest Defense, property owners can take positive steps to eliminate a bagworm threat at your home.
Why Do I Have Bagworms On My Property?
You are susceptible to bagworm infestations if you have trees and shrubs on your property. While bagworms may have a “favorite” group of trees to munch on, their palettes can extend to various shrubs and deciduous trees.
Four plants bagworms show a particular fondness include:
- Junipers
- Arborvitae (timber-producing evergreen trees belonging to the cypress family)
- Spruce
- Pine
Even though bagworms don’t fly, females lay around 500 to 1,000 eggs before they die off. Yards that were perfectly fine the year before can deal with bagworms due to their ability to move with the wind to new areas. Once the larvae find a yummy plant on your property, they will construct a silken bag and begin devouring it.
Stopping bagworms from defoliating and killing trees and shrubs can be challenging without professional help. When property owners use the services of Pinnacle Pest Defense, they ensure proper identification and removal of destructive bagworms.
What’s The Best Way To Get Rid Of Bagworms?
Removing bags from trees and shrubs is vital to stop new generations of bagworms from hatching and destroying your beautiful property. Pinnacle Pest Defense uses the latest Integrated Pest Management methodology to ensure bagworm problems stay away from your property. Established in 2013, our company has over 60 years of combined pest experience. Our locally owned and operated company focuses on friendly and professional customer service that is kind to your budget. Call Pinnacle Pest Defense today for your free inspection and estimate, and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in New Braunfels.
