Photo By: Eric Day

Bagworms are 1/8 to about 2 inches in length depending on their age. They occur on a wide range of plant hosts, but most are associated with arborvitae or junipers. A single bagworm usually does not do that much damage to a plant, however, several bag worms can defoliate and kill a plant in a few seasons. Bag worms are easily identified by the small, brownish bag (which is their cocoon) that they attach to the tip of a branch usually in late spring. The worm grows inside its cocoon and incorporates part of the plant's needles into its bag. The bag worm can be controlled by physically removing the bags when they are noticed or by chemical applications when the bags are still small in the spring. Appalachian Niche offers control of the bag worm.