Tag juniper

Ask Texas Tree Surgeons: What Can I Do About Bagworms?

by Texas Tree Surgeons Ask Texas Tree Surgeons, Tree Health Care

Another installment in our series of posts where Texas Tree Surgeons answers your tree questions. Are you having problems with your trees and want to know what’s wrong? Let us know!

My cedar tree has bagworms. Can you treat for that?

Bagworms are a common pest in North Texas, especially on cedars, junipers, cypresses, and other evergreens, although they can attack broad-leaf trees (like oaks, maples, and elms) as well. While they are common, they may not always be noticeable, especially on evergreens, as they use material from the trees they infest to camouflage their casings. Like other insects, bagworms have a year-long life cycle, and control measures depend on the growth stage of the pest.

What Are Bagworms?

  • Bagworm is the common name for several different species of insect which are actually a type of moth (order Lepidoptera, family Psychidae).
  • The bagworm caterpillars are very small (about 1/25 of an inch long), and spin silk thread which they use to attach themselves to plants and to weave into their bags.
    • Unlike a typical cocoon, the bagworm’s casing functions as a moveable shelter, with the caterpillars exiting to find food and climb up the plant.
  • Once the caterpillar has matured, it undergoes a metamorphosis period before emerging as an adult.
    • Male bagworms resemble small moths while the females are flightless.
  • Male bagworm moths seek out females during mating season, and the female uses her bag to lay eggs.
    • The exact times of caterpillar and adult emergence varies from species to species and is dependent upon the weather.

Can You Treat For Bagworms?

While bagworms are not prevalent every year, once they have infested a tree, they will continue to live there unless controlled.

  • The simplest control method is to remove the bags.
    • They can be pulled off by hand or sprayed off with high-powered water.
    • It it important to dispose of the bags or destroy them, and not just leave them lying on the ground, as the eggs they contain can hatch and re-infest the tree.
  • Insecticide sprays can be used to control bagworms, but are most effective when the caterpillars are small, and can be completely ineffective if the bagworms close their bags, as they do to molt or over the winter.
    • Systemic insecticides may be used in some cases as a preventative measure. Consult a certified arborist to see if this may be a good option for you.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our customers! Bagworms are a widespread nuisance and, while one or two may not harm a mature tree, can cause large-scale defoliation if left unchecked. It is a good idea to remove any bags that you see, whenever you see them. If you have bagworms, and want to see if there might be a chemical treatment option, contact us to set up a visit from a certified arborist. We offer full-service plant health care, including fertilization to help trees stressed by bagworms recover. We look forward to hearing from you!

Can Christmas Trees Grow in North Texas?

by Texas Tree Surgeons Resources, Tree Recommendations

While Christmas tree farms are not a common sight around North Texas, and many traditional evergreen trees do not thrive in our urban forest, there are several native evergreen species that can be used to give your yard some year-round color. Additionally, we’ll mention some introduced species that are popular, but don’t always do well in our environment.

Native Texas Evergreens

  • Eastern Redcedar

The eastern redcedar is the closest thing we have to a native Christmas tree in North Texas. With many different cultivars and growing patterns, the eastern redcedar can be a large shrub with a conical shape or be allowed to grow into a larger shade tree. Hardy in a wide range of soils, the eastern redcedar can survive both our sweltering summers and freezing winters. Some people are allergic to eastern redcedar, so it is, unfortunately, not the best choice for every situation. But if you are looking for a live Christmas tree to adorn your yard, eastern redcedar is your best bet.

  • Nellie R. Stevens Holly

There are a wide variety of hollies that are native to Texas, but perhaps the most classically “holly-like” is the Nellie R. Stevens holly. This versatile shrub can grow to as much as 30 feet tall, or be regularly trimmed for a low hedge. The Nellie R. Stevens holly features deep green, glossy foliage and the female specimens produce bright red berries. If you want a winter classic that looks marvelous against snow (when we get snow), the Nellie R. Stevens holly is perfect. Plus, the branches, leaves, and berries can be harvested to make great additions to holiday decor.

  • Yaupon Holly

The yaupon holly doesn’t have quite the traditional holly features of other species, but still features green leaves and red berries. In North Texas, yaupons are more often seem as small ornamental trees, rather than in a hedge, as they have smaller leaves than other shrubs, and can sometimes appear uneven. Different varieties of yaupon have been bred for various landscape uses, including a visually-striking “weeping” cultivar. While the leaves and branches may not be as suitable for holiday decor, the leaves can be brewed into a strong tea that has nearly as much caffeine as coffee. Avoid eating the berries, however, which are mildly toxic.

  • Magnolia

Magnolias are not often thought of around Christmas, but these southern staples are some of the most common evergreens in the area. Magnolias can range in size from majestic, 40-foot-tall examples, with foliage draping the trunk all the way to the ground, to small cultivars that can be used as shrubs. While magnolias are generally well-suited to North Texas, to really thrive, some varieties need extra care. With their large leaves, magnolias can also cause quite a mess during leaf exchange. Still, it is hard to go wrong with magnolias, which is why they are a Texas classic.

Introduced Evergreens

  • Pines (Afghan/Eldarica, Austrian, Japanese)

While there are pine trees native to Texas, they are found in different ecoregions, and are not naturally features of our North Texas blackland prairie. Still, some pine species have been imported to the area, with varying success. Most pines prefer dry, sandy, or rocky soils over the denser, clay-heavy soil of North Texas. A lack of proper drainage can lead to moisture retention in the soil, which can cause some species of pine to develop fungal infestations. With proper monitoring, pines can be cultivated in North Texas, but they rarely thrive, and may be more suited to shrub or ornamental usage.

  • Italian Cypress and Junipers

Once a ubiquitous feature of North Texas landscaping, Italian cypresses and their cousins in the juniper family have developed many health issues in the past few years. Like pines, Italian cypresses are well-suited to sandy, rocky, dry soil, and need proper drainage. This makes them drought-tolerant, and ideal for their Mediterranean home, but also leads to high susceptibility to fungal issues. With high rainfall, cypresses and junipers can develop fungal cankers and brown out quickly. Because of the presence of the responsible fungi in the natural environment, treatment is often ineffective. If you have Italian cypresses or similar species, and have been noticing a decline, it may be time to consider replacing them with evergreens better-suited to our environment.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees (evergreen or not) and we love our customers! There are other native Texas trees that are evergreen, such as the Texas mountain laurel and our local favorite live oak, but we thought these would be a good place to start if you are looking for some winter color as a gift or want some landscaping ideas. As always, we are happy to have one of our certified arborists discuss which evergreen would be best-suited for your particular needs. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with those or any other questions you may have, and we hope this holiday season and the year to come are filled with joy for you and your loved ones!