Bosik JJ, et al. But when you only see ONE end, such as when it hangs from your ceiling, its not pupating yet and the caterpillar still can come out and move around. Bosik JJ et al. Find an insecticide with any of these active ingredients: You can also use any commercial moth killer. That said, these bugs can cause a lot of damage around your house. He also assumed that this species might be present in the coastal areas of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. She then leaves her bag and drops to the ground; the eggs overwinter. For plaster bagworms, this is usually on ceilings, walls, and other humid areas with plenty of debris for the larvae to consume. Stand back and assess. The larvae of all create protective cases out of plant materials or other debris. In 1956, Hinton and Bradley described the new genus Phereoeca, in order to separate the true Tineola from this and other species of flat case-bearing moths. However, thats an ineffective way to get rid of plaster bagworms because it doesnt address the problem at hand! You can also use a long pole to scrape them off, but this could result in your crushing them which can damage your ceiling. These are the protective bags of bagworms, also commonly confused with casebearers. Try a few of them out and see what works best for you. The larva is not usually seen by most people. A bug zapper can also be effective for controlling nighttime moths. The larva is a caterpillar that carries the case/bag along with it as it forages. Sparrows are commonly chosen because theyre easy to attract and have a wide dispersion across the US. 1979. Kea (1933) could not observe this insect feeding on dried insects in the laboratory, even though small portions of dried insects were found attached to its case. The insect might use nearby lint, sand, or even dry plaster debris. The eggs are found on crevices, cracks, and joints of doors, walls, and baseboards. Take a broom to those high corners near the ceiling. There are two main reasons why you have plaster bagworms in your home or garden: These pests are NOT picky and will show up suddenly out of nowhere. Bulletin No. The lifecycle of a bagworm is nothing special. hi Anthony, can you teach me how to get rid of lizards ? Visit the EDIS website at, . Read some reviews. An Introduction to the Study of Insects. Use as directed. They eventually abandon the case after becoming an adult. Life history and behavior of the case-bearer. Apply the Bt as directed by the package directions. He also assumed that this species might be present in the coastal areas of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. Larva: The larva is not usually seen by most people. They dont bite, sting, or transmit any dangerous diseases to people. 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. Most people know this species by the name plaster bagworm. Watson JR. 1939. The plaster bagworm in it's larval stage, has three (3) set of legs as well as false legs. Florida Entomologist 17: 66. Adult male household casebearer, Phereoeca uterella Walsingham. This closing mechanism is very difficult to open from the outside. This tends to be areas like your garage, attic, stucco, vinyl, sidings, and basement, but they can also be found in the bedroom, kitchen, and any other room of your home or apartment. Hetrick (1957) found that the most common and abundant food of the household casebearer in Florida is old spider webs, consumed in large quantities. Remove the dead bagworm safely. Egg: After mating, females lay their eggs on crevices and the junction of walls and floors, cementing them on debris. The only thing Id be wary about is to study the pesticides they use and check out the MSDS on them. If youre doing this outdoors, youll have to reapply often because of the elements. If you need to resort to chemical pesticides to kill plaster bagworms, heres what youll want to look for. Original publication date September 1996. Even though mating, hatching, and lifecycle times vary depending on the environment, all the bagworm species in YOUR environment should have nearly the same event times during their lifecycle. Once you lift the sponge from the surface, it allows eggs to get caught UNDER it which will smear them. Climb up there safely, and start picking them off your ceiling. Position the desktop lamp above the container and direct the light right into the liquid. The larval case is a slender, flat, fusiform, or spindle-shaped case which resembles a cantaloupe or pumpkin seed. Generally, they will stay close to wherever food is near. There are two pairs of buccal appendages called palps. Note that spinosad is dangerous to bees and will kill them quickly. 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. The adults mate and deposit their eggs which over time will result in these bagworms on your walls and ceilings. Consider hiring a professional exterminator if you have specific questions on using natural predators to handle plaster bagworms. If you absolutely need a light to be overnight, consider replacing them with a yellow bulb. Plaster worms thrive when the humidity is high. Make a soap water mixture and then grab an old sponge that youre about to throw out. As the worm grows it spins a silken bag around its body, camouflaged with bits and pieces of the host foliage. If spiders have nothing to eat, then they wont spin a web. Go ahead and mix a bucket full of water and a few drops of dish soap. Now that you know how to get rid of plaster bagworms, its time to put in the time to reclaim your home. 3943. The dark colored bagworm caterpillars are 1/8 to one inch long when they first hatch. They dont scavenge for the same things as cockroaches and other common pests, so theyre free to live in their own little bubble undetected. It also attacks certain deciduous trees such as black locust, honeylocust, and sycamore. 1956. Fortunately, getting rid of plaster bagworms is pretty easy if you take the proper steps. Plaster bagworms are nothing but the larvae of moths. until they pupate. This document is also available on the Featured Creatures website athttp://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/. Furthermore, household casebearer larvae did not eat cotton products offered by Kea. Youll want to make its secure and wont fall into the mixture and nothing can knock it over. PLASTER BAGWORMS LOVE FLORIDA HOMES Prepared by Daniel F. Culbert, County Extension Director Release: 02/14/99 . 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). pp. They might stay on your exterior door or near a porch light. Biology: This moth is closely related to the Household Casebearer, which is discussed separately and which is a distinct species. University of Florida, Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 619. Spray when the bags are smaller than 0.5 and are visibly feeding. Inside the bag the caterpillar transforms to the moth stage. 1979. However, we usually see only the empty larval or pupal cases of the household casebearer on walls of houses in south and central Florida. This explains why theyre commonly found in environments with already high moisture content such as Florida and other coastal states. These little buggers have some other common names: Because the household casebearer and the plaster bagworms are so alike, theres a lot of confusion between the two species. You mention how to get rid of these pests, but you dont say how to keep them from coming back into your house? When many homeowners see these insects, theyll instinctively sweep them off the wall and call it a day. I live in a condo on Miami. The females cement the eggs to surfaces with a mixture of debris. You can keep bagworms away by using a combination of home remedies. The anterior crochets are bigger and broader than posterior ones by one third, which is a good detail for identification. The larvae of the species of Tineidae of economic importance. Hetrick (1957) observed the insect in many parts of Florida and Louisiana, as well as USDA records of the household casebearer from Mississippi and North Carolina. However, the specimens that he collected from the Virgin Islands were misidentified. Your feedback is how I write more improved and detailed pest guides. The tunnel is closed beneath by the larva to form a tube free from the substrate, and open at both ends. Thats it. You should turn off or reduce your patio lights where possible. But for everything else, they should be a minimal threat. Microlepidoptera of Cuba. So if you can keep moths away from your property, youll have fewer bagworms to deal with. If you have ichneumonid wasps, you can attract them to your yard by planting flowers that attract wasps and avoiding ones that dont. Plaster bagworms like to accumulate in garages and attics where most homeowners dont have proper cooling equipment. Many species in this family are casebearers and a few are indoor pests of hair fibers, woolens, silks, felt, and similar materials. They dont actually eat plaster and only get their name because theyre commonly found in plaster, walls, and hanging from the ceiling. 1954. Visit the EDIS website athttps://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. The case that it carries around wherever it feeds is what is immediately recognized. Phereoeca uterella is a species of moth belonging to the family Tineidae. Theres no single foolproof technique. The first record of this species came from Lord Walsingham in 1897 (Busck, 1933). For spiderwebs, clean your house regularly. You also may come across additional areas of activity. When disturbed, it encloses itself in the case by pulling the bottom side up. Manual picking or vacuuming of cases and spider web removal should be enough to keep this species under control. The larva builds the case before it hatches and each instar forces a larger case. New York. Youre getting rid of plaster bagworms by getting rid of OTHER pests first. Its very easy to make and you probably already have the necessary materials lying around your home! Each constructs a small bag around its hind parts with silk and plant material. Everything I mentioned is listed above in this guide. Eggs take about 1-2 weeks to hatch but vary depending on environmental conditions, species, and temperature. Life Cycle Bagworm, like all moths, undergoes complete metamorphosis with four stages. Follow the directions from the manufacturer and see if it helps get rid of the plaster bagworms. Bagworms lay eggs that hatch as moths between the last days of May through the early weeks of June. Eggs are soft, pale bluish, and about 0.4 mm in diameter.