This is the first year i have been invested with bagworms which killed a four foot evergreen. I have been picking them off ever since the discovery. Now I notice my neighbors 75 foot pine trees are covered with them. I have 70 evergreens i have planted and am very nervous i will lose them. How do you get the worms up high. How many does it take to kill a tree. Will it kill a 70 ft. tree this year? Will they come back next year if we can't pick the ones up high?

This question was forwarded to Horticulture Educator, Sandy Mason. She is an expert on plants and trees. She answered this promptly to my knowledge, but the post doesn't show on Ask Extension. If you have any further questions, please let her know. Just click on Horticulture for tree and plant questions.

HI Pam, first you really need to encourage your neighbor to treat for bagworms as well. their trees will serve as a source of infection for neighboring trees. One bag can contain a couple hundred eggs so it isnt hard to reach high populations. if limbs are eaten a couple years in a row they will most likely die. I would encourage you to also contact your local Purdue extension office for proper timing of sprays. Here in central Illinois we spray mid to late June and again 2 weeks later. please use this website to find the office nearest you. http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extsite/consumer_horticulture.shtml good luck, sandy