They will mate and the females will lay their fertilized eggs in their cases. How do you get rid of a caterpillar infestation? Damage caused by bagworms. Young insects of this species eat the upper epidermis of hosts, which leaves tiny holes on the foliage of these plants. So, as you can see, these bagworms are adaptive and can get out of hand rather quickly. They mainly feed on junipers, cedar, arborvitae, Leyland Cypress and other evergreens with needles instead of leaves. There are several proven methods to getting bagworm populations under control. Adult moths do not feed, living just long enough to mate. Knowing their life cycle and understanding when these stages take place is key to controlling bagworms. I also had them in my maple tree. These worms use over 100 different plants as their food. You’ll most commonly find bagworms eating your arborvitae (Thuja species) and eastern redcedar (Thuja plicata).However, they’ll eat dozens of coniferous and broadleaf species including: Pine (Pinus)Willow (Salix)Apple (Malus)Elm (Ulmus)Maple (Acer)Black locust (Robinia)Linden (Tilia)Bagworms start by eating the leaves at branch tips, causing dieback. Bagworm, like all moths, undergoes complete metamorphosis with four stages. This is not their only food source however. The eggs hatch in mid- to late May in central Kentucky and the tiny larvae crawl out to feed. Though, they prefer evergreens, like juniper, arborvitae, cedar and spruce. The bagworm's best defense is its camouflage bag, worn throughout its life cycle. Yet again though, timing is critical because you want to get to the female before she lays her eggs. Trees such as sycamore, willow, and other deciduous trees, usually refoliate after an episode of heavy defoliation. They also have a similar way of defending themselves from predators while they feed and pupate. Egg: In late summer and fall, the female lays up to 1,000 eggs in her case. Near mating time in most species, the rear part of the body becomes swollen with sperm or eggs. Bagworm larvae feed on leaves and needles of evergreen plants. Around July and up through August you may see tiny bag like clumps of debris resembling an ice cream cone on the bottom of your plant’s leaves or hanging from needles or branches. The fertilized eggs remain inside the female and the caterpillars will emerge from the parent’s body. This is where the caterpillars hide. In the wintertime, nuthatches, chickadees, and titmice work up and down the bark of trees looking for insect eggs to eat--including those of the bagworm. Knowing their life cycle is the key to getting control of an infestation. Do birds eat bagworms? Then the birds will also feed on the bagworm caterpillars in the spring. This is another possible time for treatment. The males fly to the females. Do not rely on birds to take care of your problem either. At this time, they will seal up their bags and pupate into moths. There is a nematode (Steinernema carpocapse) you can spray on the bags that will get to the caterpillar and devour it inside the bag. Even if a bird swallows the case, the eggs are hard enough to pass through their system unharmed and will be deposited on another tree. Gases are exchanged across the well-vascularized parapodia. Also accompanied by bare spots and leaves stripped down to the vein. Woodpeckers and sapsuckers can feed on the larva from their cases. Keep reading to learn how to get rid of these destructive caterpillars! In the absence of these preferred hosts, bagworm will eat the foliage of just about any tree: fir, spruce, pine, hemlock, sweetgum, sycamore, honey locust, and black locust. On evergreens, they’ll eat lots of the buds and foliage, causing branch tips to … When it comes to pine trees, their sacks are mistaken for actual small pine cones. The best and most effective time to treat Bagworm moth Caterpillars is when they first hatch, which is late May to early June in most parts of the country. The females, once mature, do not leave their cases. See more ideas about bag worms, worms, tent caterpillars. They stay within the safety of their bags, sticking their heads out to feed and carrying the bags from branch to branch. Bagworm control starts with understanding the worm itself. Females have no wings, legs, or mouthparts, and remain within their bags. They resemble pumpkin seeds in that they are wide in the middle and tapered on the ends. They are parasitic in nature and reside in plants, feeding on them. Once they’ve found a tree to call home, bagworms start munching. Evergreens: Bagworms will eat the foliage and the buds of evergreens. 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