Question
My brother & sister in law have a pine tree in their back yard (she thinks it's called southern pine but not sure) It has what looks like little pods all over it,then they start to open up and it looks like a little black worm that comes out part way then goes back in it never seems to come all the way out do you know what they could be? don't have a pic right now but can get one in a few days  Thank you

Answer
These "pods" are the house of an insect called Bagworms. Bagworms are moths that lay their eggs and when the egg hatches the caterpillar forms a bag of silk and leaves as the caterpillar grows the bag gets larger.

The common bagworm, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis (Haworth), is an interesting caterpillar. The most commonly observed form of this pest is the spindle-shaped silk bag camouflaged with bits of foliage, bark and other debris . Completed bags range from 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 inches long. The larva within the bag is brown or tan, mottled with black, and the bee-like adult males have clear wings and fur covered bodies. The females remain larva-like and do not emerge from the bag. The larva may stick its head and front legs out of the top of the bag to feed and move. When disturbed, the larva immediately pulls its head into the bag and holds the opening closed. Mature larvae may stay on their host plant or drag their bags some distance before firmly attaching the bag for transformation into the adult stage.

The bagworm occurs in the eastern United States from New England to Nebraska and south through Texas. The larvae seem to prefer arborvitae and red ceder but many other conifers and deciduous trees are attacked. These include: pine, spruce, cypress, juniper, willow, black locust, sycamore, apple, maple, elm, poplar, oak, and birch.
Bagworm females cannot fly and local populations can build rapidly when established on preferred hosts, especially arborvitae, cedar and juniper. Crowded larvae may eat the buds on these conifers causing branch dieback and open, dead areas. Excessive defoliation of these conifers may cause entire plant death during the following season. Moderate defoliation is unsightly.

Cultural Control-Mechanical Hand Picking If the bags are few in number and easily reached they may be picked off the plant and squashed. This can be done easily in the late fall when deciduous foliage has been dropped or the bits of plant material on the bags turn brown and can be easily located on evergreens. Be sure to cut the attachment silk band so that the branch will not be girdled in the future.

Chemical Control-Insecticide Sprays Stomach insecticides are very useful for control of bagworms. Remember that the plant foliage is to be thoroughly covered because the larvae are protected from contact by being in the silk bag. Again, early sprays against young larvae are more effective than later applications. Products registered for bagworm control are: acephate (Orthene), , bifenthrin (Talstar), carbaryl (Sevin), chlorpyrifos (Dursban), , diazinon, dimethoate (Cygon), , malathion, nicotine sulfate, pyrethrum, and rotenone..  

Some trees are too large to be able to spray in that case you can use a soil applied insecticide called Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect Control. It is applied to the soil around the tree and the roots will carry it to the foliage and when the caterpillar feeds on the needles they are killed. It is somewhat slower than the spray to react since the roots have to move it up to the needles expect a couple of weeks before you see much results. But it will give a longer control. Here is a web link to this product--check with your local garden type store for these products.

http://www.bayeradvanced.com/tree-shrub-care/products/12-month-tree-shrub-insect...