Wait for it…keep watching the video. Here’s a hint, the creepy stuff starts happening at the 8 second mark. It’s Alive!
Looks like bagworms are making a go of it in some parts of Wake Forest. What starts as a little tiny egg, turns into one big freaking problem as the bagworms multiply.
One day you are sauntering past your shrubbery without a care in the world, the next, you’re wondering why your bushes are dancing.
The darn things are taking over on my arborvitaes. While the arborvitae is also known as the Thuja, (tree of life) it is also a favorite buffet for these pesky little bag worms. I’ve got news for you my little bagworm friends. It’s not going to be the tree of life for long.
Let me cut straight to the chase, one of these uninvited bagworm caterpillars can lay a tractor-trailer full of eggs. So to make sure any little camp out in your yard this year doesn’t turn into a jamboree next year you’ll have to put an end to the little cute bagworms. I actually don’t know if they are cute. I’m pretty pissed at them right now.
Female bagworms lay 500-1000 eggs in their bag before they die in the fall. The eggs overwinter and hatch in May and June.
There are a selection of insecticides labeled for use on bagworms on ornamental plants in: Greenhouses (G), Nurseries (N), Landscapes (L), and Interiorscapes (I). * Suitable for homeowner use. (Homeowner formulations of permethrin and cyfluthrin are also available.)
Hint: You can easily find most of the stuff above on Amazon.com or at one of our local hardware stores.
More information about bagworms can be found in this NC State University Cooperative Extension document. Read it and weep.