Webworms or bagworms...which do you really have? Many people have been asking me about "bagworms" as of late, but after asking a few questions I discover that they have webworms. So, what's the difference?
Bagworms:
· Form small cases that hold larvae, pupae, or female adults and eggs
· Cases are often found on evergreen trees & shrubs such as cedar, juniper, cypress, or pine
· Cases are made from silk and plant material laid down similar to shingles on a house, overlapping in layers
· Newly hatched larvae spin a silken thread & either are carried to a new plant by wind or attach themselves to the plant they are on and begin to build their own silken bag
· Bags remain on plants even if bagworms are dead
· Bags are transportable; larvae carry them along as they move about the plant
· To manage bagworms, handpick bags off the plant and dispose of them
Webworms:
· Spin webbing over branches of host tree to enclose foliage they feed upon
· Attack over 88 species of plants, including fruit, nut, and ornamental trees and shrubs
· Use web as a protective covering; spin webbing immediately after hatching out of egg
· Webbing remains on tree even if caterpillars are dead/ no longer there
· Webs can be pruned out of the tree or opened with a stick/ spray of water to allow predators to eat caterpillars
· When using a pesticide, webbing still needs to be opened
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