Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Bag Worm Collection Contest


This Caterpillar builds a silk cocoon and then attaches pieces of leaves for camouflage. They look like little pine cones and carry their bags with them while they feed. Some of them grow to around two inches long. In the fall, the bagworms lay up to 1,000 eggs (in this sack) which will hatch in May or June the following year.

If left on the trees, the worms can do tremendous damage to your evergreens and arborvitae. It is recommended that you pick the bags from the shrubs and trees and burn them.

After noticing a bunch of these pests on our young trees, the boys and I had a contest to see who could gather the most off our 150 small evergreen trees. I Paid them a small amount for each worm gathered. All told, we collected just under 200 of the little beasts.

My boys were thrilled to see one of the worms actually make an appearance as it tried to climb out of the container. YUCK!.

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