What damage do bagworms do?īagworms will attack more than 120 different types of trees. But they’re mainly in the Eastern United States, dispersed all along the East Coast and in much of the Southeast. They’re actually native to North America. About the size of a quarter, male bagworms are ashy-black moths with transparent wings. The pests hang out in their bags until late summer or early fall when the adult males emerge to mate. The caterpillars use their silk thread as a parachute to travel to nearby trees and begin building a new home (or bag) there. At 2 mm, they’re barely larger than a pinhead, which makes them light as a feather. The eggs hatch in late spring or early summer, when super tiny, black larvae emerge.

In the fall, the insects use their silk and pieces of the tree to create a camouflaged, cocoon-looking bag, which they fill with up to 1,000 eggs! You probably won’t see the bagworms themselves, but instead, the 2” homes bagworms make in your trees. Bagworm Damage and Control What do bagworms look like? Learn what bagworms look like, the damage they do to your trees and how you can control them below. saw them on her tree and asked, “My mimosa tree has bagworms. As it spreads its wings, you look in awe at the array of fluttering colors before you!īut, that sense of wonder doesn’t translate when a black, fuzzy moth emerges from its bag! Those moths, likely bagworms, were busy eating your evergreen or tree before making their debut.Ī Davey Blog reader Jodie H. Seeing a butterfly emerge from its cocoon is magical.

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