Bagworms in Katy

Evergreen plants and trees have been attacked by bagworms in large numbers in the Katy area. This image shows the insect's bag, made up of chewed leaves, hanging on a Red Oak leaf. They attack any plant. If you have any cherished evergreen ornamental treat immediately. I have a customer, that within 4 days of noticing the insect bags hanging from her 4 X 14 foot Italian Cypress, had to bring down all 4 because of the damage done. Then she looked at her Indian Hawthornes and found the larvae had consumed all the leaves.

After the insect is dead I recommend harvesting the bags because you could have bagworm eggs in the pouch that will fall to the ground and reestablish their presence.

Mosquitoes in Katy

After all the rains we have had lately has developed our first attack of the mosquitoes in Katy. I am not an advocate of misting machines. No doubt the insecticides used in those machines can kill a mosquito in the labratory but can a machine system be effective in someone back yard. There is no scientific evidence they do. I assure you can find many that can tell you they work but where's the science?

Like so many other insect elimination is prevention. Mosquitoes have 7 stages of its life cycle and 6 of those require water. Take away stagnant water you have no mosquitoes. One are overlooked in water harborages are lawn drains. Many drains have a sump and that needs to be dealt with using a larvicide that can be in the form of a donut or shake on pieces. The active ingredience can be BT or Hydropren. Hydropren tends to stay on surface of the water where the active should be.