Question
WE have had all of our redbud trees covered with bright green fuzzy worm like things this season and do not know what to do about them.  HOw do we get rid of them.  We have also had bag worms on our cedar trees - what should we spray them with??? Any help would be appreciated.

Answer
All caterpillars can be controlled with an insecticide treatment. I would use a contact insecticide--one of these is Orthene. This if sprayed on the foliage and the caterpillars will control them. Another insecticide is Bt which if sprayed on the foliage the caterpillar will eat killing the insects.

Bagworms. 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),  dimethoate (Cygon),  malathion, nicotine sulfate, pyrethrum, and rotenone.
Any of these will also control the caterpillars above.