Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Keep an eye on bag carriers
• Part 2 of 3: Killing bag carriers' eggs
• Part 3 of 3: Killing hatched bag carriers
• Necessities

Bag carriers, also called bag caterpillar moths, are moths that eat shrubs and trees when they are larvae. They like deciduous trees, conifers, fruit trees and perennials. However, they are only deadly to coniferous trees that stay green. The main methods of getting rid of bag carriers are to cut the egg sacs from the tree by hand and to use insecticides to kill young bag carriers.

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Part 1 of 3: Keep an eye on bag carriers

1. Start looking for bag carriers in the winter or spring. The bag carrier egg sacs are brown and 4 to 5 inches long. They are covered with dead needles, so at this time of the year they stand out more compared to the green needles that don't fall out.
   • Bag carrier egg sacs can be very difficult to find because they look like pinecones. Check out all the pinecones to find pinecones with anomalies that are actually egg sacs.
2. Sweep and rake under trees regularly to remove fallen egg sacs. Do not dispose of the waste on the compost heap, or the larvae will continue to live. Place the egg bags in sealed plastic bags in your trash can.
3. Watch for areas of dead pine needles and branches. If your tree starts to turn brown, the bag carriers may have already killed it. Make a last-ditch effort to get rid of bag carriers throughout your yard so they don't spread to other trees.
4. Check out the new places where the bag carriers may live. The silk cocoons are carried by the wind. The moths can now live in the places in your garden where the wind blows. These are good places to look for bag carriers.

Part 2 of 3: Killing bag carriers' eggs

1. Fill a plastic bucket with a mixture of warm water and dish soap. Mix everything well.
2. Put on gardening gloves and bring a small pair of pruning shears to be able to completely remove the bag carriers. With pruning shears you can remove all remnants of the spins from bag carriers, making it more difficult for new bag carriers to get into the tree.
3. Lift branches, cut off bag carrier egg sacs and drop them into the bucket of soapy water. Make sure they are completely submerged.
4. Dispose of the submerged bag carriers in a plastic bag, seal the bag and dispose of it in the trash.
5. Repeat this process every fall, winter and early spring to reduce the amount of bag carriers before the eggs hatch. You will need to use less pesticides if you are thorough in manually removing the egg sacs.

Part 3 of 3: Killing hatched bag carriers

1. Plan to kill bag carriers with insecticide in May. This is when the eggs hatch and the bag carriers are most vulnerable. In some areas, the eggs hatch in the first part of June.
2. Notice a small worm-like head protruding from the top of the bag. Bag carriers usually retract their heads into the bag when startled.
3. Buy an insecticide like Dipel or Thuricide. These agents contain bacillus thuringiensis, a bacteria that is deadly to young bag carriers. If you have many trees affected by bag carriers, it can be expensive to treat the bag carriers thoroughly with insecticides to kill them.
   • There are also other insecticides available that work well to kill freshly hatched bag carriers.
4. Put the agent in a spray bottle. Thoroughly wet the leaves and needles of the potentially affected trees. Use caution when using the product around pets and small children.
   • Consider cordoning off the treated area after spraying.
5. Spray insecticide in May, June and early July. During these months it can kill young larvae. Don't do this late July and August when the bag carriers are strong and the drug no longer works.
   • In September and early October, the adult bag carriers fertilize their eggs. Then start by manually removing the egg sacs from the trees.
   • Adult males are moths with black wings and brown spots. They die after fertilizing the eggs. Female bag carriers remain in the bag as larvae.

Necessities

• Plastic bucket
• Water
• Dishwashing liquid
• Garden gloves
• Pruning shears
• Insecticide
• Plastic bags
• Rake