Bagworms on Blue Spruce in Ohio: Manual Removal and BT Spray

Worms in Hanging Needle Cases Defoliating Spruce

Larvae in spindle-shaped bags made of needles; feeding from bottom up. One caterpillar per bag.

Caterpillars live in bags, eat needles, incorporate debris. Hard to penetrate bags with spray.

Best: Hand-pick bags and destroy (especially effective for larger larvae).
Spray: Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) on foliage—young larvae eat treated needles and die.
Contact insecticide if bags can be thoroughly wetted.
Bonus: Caterpillars make good fish bait.

BT works best on early instars. Scout in late spring/early summer.

Conifers: Pine Bark Beetles in Alabama: Prevention via Tree Vigor—Contact Extension for Local Advice; Pine Tree Holes in Rows: Sapsucker Woodpecker Damage; Standing Water at Pine Base: Trees Don't Produce Water—Check for Leaks; Tree House on Pines: Nail Damage, Beetle Risk, and Ant Management; Saving a Poorly Planted Evergreen in Minnesota; Pine Cone Absence in Massachusetts: Not Necessarily a Problem; Identifying a Tree with Round Cones & Tiny Needles: Bald Cypress; Bagworm Infestation on Pine: Identification and Control Options; Identifying a Pine Tree from a Photo; Identifying Large White Grubs at the Base of a Tree

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