Bag Worms

[oldballs]

Hi Fellow TBN'ers,

This year the Bag Worms seem particularly bad. Usually I spray each year....some times a bit late. This year I used Bonide "Systemic Insect Control" which is 9.4 % Acephate. I use 1 pt (16oz) per 10 gallons.

My place is partially lined with Eastern Red Cedar ...around 500 feet of 45 year old trees. I also have one nice Blue Spruce. Most bags are about 1 to 1 1/2 inch long right now. I just came in from running 70 gallons thru my rig , but have not finished. This rig will reach up about 30 ft.

How are you all dealing with Bad Bag Worms?

Cheers,
Mike

 

[Ford850]

They are bad here too. I have them on everything from hardwood and nut to fruit to ever green trees. I've trimmed a few out of my blue berries and pears, but otherwise I haven't tried a spray.

 

[Diggin It]

Seems like just about any bug stuff I spray takes them out. I haven't found a need for anything special. Bags be a wigglin' one day and still the next.

 

[ruffdog]

Around here, our blue spruce are devastated by needle cast. For bag worms, Malathion 50 works too.

Rhizosphaera Needle Cast – Wisconsin Horticulture

Gordon's Malathion 5% Spray Insecticide Concentrate, 1 gal., 6 at Tractor Supply Co.

 

[MossRoad]

I had them on a blue spruce and some pines about 10 years ago. They stripped many of the lower branches before I figured out what was going on. I used sevin liquid and two applications of that did them in. They've never been back since, and the tree recovered in about 4-5 years.

 

[Alan W.]

Havent seen the first one here yet. But when they are a problem malathion was my weapon of choice.

Love the Case. Dad had a 446 that I mowed with. Very tough tractors. Wish I had bought it when he sold it.

 

[oldballs]

Malathion is a bit cheaper IIRC. It seems that most of the "Control" or "Killers" don't want to mention Bag Worms.
That Case 448 is 36 years old and has served me well. Nobody makes them like that any more. The Kubotas now do the heavy work.
Am going to check the results later this morning.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[Gem99ultra]

Bag worms aren't any worse here this year than normal. But I do try to chop any branches when I see them.

I had piled up some limbs on the burn pile, with bag worm nests on them the other day. I expected that they not having a food source they'd die right away. But 3 days later I check on them and they were hatching out - doing just fine, thank you. I hit the pile with Permethrin. That did them in promptly. As one member said, probably just about any insecticide will kill them.

 

[oldballs]

I'm just a "learner" and no expert, but the small ones....3/4 to 1 inch are probably easy to kill....early in the season. But I suspect that the full grown bag is really hard to kill with a spray.

Heck, a guy can't be expert at everything. Mother Nature has so many secrets.....even my earthly Mom did.:confused3: