From egg to adult takes about 74 days on average. Bagworm eggs hatch in late May or early June, which makes this the ideal time to eradicate them. The ceiling and believe me , I look! State of Florida, Department of Agriculture, Tallahassee. The eggs look like small blue ovals with a pale tint and are less than 0.5mm in length. Theyre mainly attracted to a stable food source with minimal disturbances. If you have bagworm infestations in your trees, this is likely a different type of species- not a plaster bagworm. The larva is a caterpillar that carries the case/bag along with it as it forages. Egg: In late summer and fall, the female lays up to 1,000 eggs in her case. Then scrub your walls with the wet sponge. The larva walks up a vertical surface and attaches the case at both ends with silk. Like any other nuisance bug, plaster bagworms move into homes to find food and shelter. With each molt, the larva enlarges its case. By the end of this article, you should have everything you need to know to manage, control, and eliminate these pests. You might also find them hanging off of exterior stucco, near outdoor lights, or underneath chairs and benches. In most states there is only one generation per year. Bagworms overwinter as eggs in the bag of the mother. Webs can be found on the roof, walls, corners, baseboards, cracks, foundation, and more. If you need to resort to chemical pesticides to kill plaster bagworms, heres what youll want to look for. Without any food to survive, plaster bagworms have no choice but to vacate your home and look elsewhere for food. Plaster bagworms are nothing but the larvae of moths. If you suffer from allergies, the mere presence of these bugs can cause problems as well. They dont bite or cause any physical pain if you touch them. I keep a very clean home and already dislike bugs so i dont and never had webs or spiders. I thought they were joking St in my clothes and furniture but Ive noticed them in my ceiling and I am terrified. After a while, the species in the peninsula was recognized as T. walsinghami. Get a vacuum and suck up all the webs, dust, and other debris in the area, especially on the ceiling. Aiello (1979) believes the plates protect the larva from natural enemies when it reaches out of its case for locomotion. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and Ill get back to you. Remember that even the smallest web strand provides a complete meal for these pests, so dont skimp on the cleaning. 2000. When many homeowners see these insects, theyll instinctively sweep them off the wall and call it a day. The largest cases are about 8-14mm in length with a 3-4mm width. The females will deposit up to 200 eggs by attaching them to surfaces where the larvae are likely to have a food source. Rooms or areas that are dirty or ignored will be swarming with empty cases and live larvae. Your email address will not be published. When it comes to how to organically kill bagworms, the birds do it best by going around the tree and eating the worms. Life Cycle Bagworm, like all moths, undergoes complete metamorphosis with four stages. The fully developed larva is about 7 mm long. The larva is also transported to nearby plants by wind. Theres no limit to where the cases are found. Theyll be actively feeding on various debris around the home and you can capture and kill most of them when you spray during this time. State of Florida, Department of Agriculture, Tallahassee. Each constructs a small bag around its hind parts with silk and plant material. And its natural. Theyre the larvae form of moths and have two distinct phases of their lifecycle. When disturbed, it encloses itself in the case by pulling the bottom side up. A braconid wasp,Apanteles carpatus(Say), parasitizes larvae of case-bearing moths, killing the larva before pupation. Visit the EDIS website athttps://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. After a while, the species in the peninsula was recognized as Tineola walsinghami. I find that using a combo of various repellents, bagworm removal methods, sticky traps, and natural deterrents work best. Namely, vespid wasps, woodpeckers, sapsuckers, and other predatory flying insects will eat them up without hesitation. One of the most effective ways to get rid of plaster bagworms in your house is to maintain cooler temperatures inside. Reproduction Patterns of Bagworms In the spring, the bagworm eggs hatch and each larva leaves the bag by releasing a thin silk thread and floating down out of the bag. Biology: This moth is closely related to the Household Casebearer, which is discussed separately and which is a distinct species. So the dish soap actually will slip right off and wont kill the bagworm if you spray it directly. The larvae will emerge from their case and walk around bringing the case alongside them. Most of the biology described here was taken from Aiello's (1979) description of Phereoeca allutella, a closely related case-bearing moth species from Panama. The adults mate around the same time, which means the larvae eggs are deposited simultaneously. Figure 2. This may help bring down their numbers and keep them out of your home. It is possible that records ofPhereoeca uterellamight be misidentified as this species or vice versa. It is silk-lined inside and open at both ends. Its bred from bacteria found in the soil and can kill bagworms very quickly. This is best used for bagworms found in plants and trees. This isnt the most efficient home remedy to get rid of plaster bagworms, but you can clean up an infestation quickly without using any chemicals. Due to its food habits the household casebearer is a potential household pest. There are six to seven larval instars that require about 50 days to mature. Find an insecticide with any of these active ingredients: You can also use any commercial moth killer. Webs of insects such as booklice (Psocoptera) and webspinners (Embioptera) from tree trunks were also suitable food. Heres the thing you need to know: Bagworms have a protective casing around them when they dangle from the ceiling. Furthermore, household casebearer larvae did not eat cotton products offered by Kea. The Entomologist 89: 4247. 1954. Plus, its a lot safer compared to chemical compounds which often leave behind nasty and dangerous residues. Stand back and assess. There are two pairs of buccal appendages called palps. The adult moth will merge from the case, complete with a full wingspan. CRC Press. Once the eggs hatch, the larva spins a silk strand that hangs down it. In Florida, this braconid and an ichneumonid wasp, Lymeon orbum (Say), were reared from the household casebearer (Hetrick 1957). After all, the last thing you need is harmful toxic residues floating around your home just to keep some bagworms out. There are many types and brands of sticky tape and traps. When youre out of ideas, consult a professional (licensed) pest control company. The household casebearer, Phereoeca uterella, requires high humidity to complete its development, a limiting factor for its dispersion throughout the rest of the country. In most cases, plaster bagworms start their life outdoors. Theyre considered to be caterpillars at this point. The adults mate and deposit their eggs which over time will result in these bagworms on your walls and ceilings. The resilient fibers of a spider web make them extremely durable to the elements (theyre resistant to rain, wind, and sunlight) and this provides a longstanding food for bagworms. Visit the EDIS website at, . Some heavy infestations will require commercial pesticides to handle. Finally, an early synonym established by Meyrick was recognized as the most appropriate name, and the species was named Phereoeca dubitatrix (Meyrick 1932). XVI: Two new genera of clothes moths (Tineidae). Some bagworm species are parthenogenetic, meaning their eggs develop without male fertilization. Males are smaller (wing span: 7 to 9 mm) and thinner than the female, with a less distinctive wing pattern. Adult female household casebearer, Phereoeca uterella Walsingham. Use a vacuum cleaner or dish soap to dislodge them and get rid of them. They immediately begin feeding on host plants. To keep the leaves from blowing away in the wind, put a bunch of them into a nylon sock and tape the sock to the walls around your home. They remain in the pupal stage an average of 15.6 days (range of 11 to 23 days). The bagworm nest is made of silk, twigs, and bits of leaves. Plaster bagworms like to accumulate in garages and attics where most homeowners dont have proper cooling equipment. These become the host plants for the larvae for further development in the moth life cycle. Adults at rest hold their wings tented over the body. Youll often find 1-2 spindle bags hanging from the twigs. You can make your own plan. Toss them right into the mixture, which will kill them upon contact, and repeat until you see no more bags on your roof! The plaster bagworm often is confused with the household casebearer. The cases are constructed during the caterpillar stage (larval) and this is when most people notice them. Its only the wool items you have to protect. 1933. These bugs go by many other names, with some people referring to them as dust worms or household case bearers. 1956. He also assumed that this species might be present in the coastal areas of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. The thing Im frightened most about is how they appear out of thin air. The caterpillar is only about a quarter of an inch long. After the first case is completed, the larva starts moving around, pulling its case behind. Its a chain reaction, but a catch-22 at the same time. The content on this site is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as professional advice, or to replace a relationship with a qualified professional. Disclaimer: Always consult with a qualified professional exterminator prior to beginning any pest control plan. So if you have wool clothing or furniture, you should be careful. At the tip of each proleg there is an ellipse formed by 23 to 25 very small crochets (a small hook). You can also make your own moth trap at home. The caterpillar larvae are the larvae phase of their lifecycle. And if you found this page helpful, consider telling a friend or just letting me know. 1003 pp. Luckily, these bugs will typically leave your cotton and nylon alone. Florida Entomologist 40: 145146. You can reduce the humidity in rooms where you see them dangling from the roof by doing the following: Set up box fans or air circulators to keep moisture moving (point them at windows and doors facing OUT of the room that has high humidity). Female adults will keep their bags, which has her pupal case and this is where the eggs are deposited. 1979. Plus, you dont have to deal with the bug guts if you squish one yourself. Bagworms arent exactly as pleasant as a butterfly, but theyre not too difficult to get rid of. 3943. Old cases of its own species were chewed as well. Put on a pair of garden gloves, goggles, and long sleeves because were going to get dirty! The adult plaster bagworm moths look like your typical moth.