MANHATTAN — In many places of the U.S., last year was the year of the bagworm. The nasty little camouflaged critters ate wide swathes in the evergreen landscape. And because there were so many, you can expect to see more this year, said Dennis Patton, bug expert from Kansas State Extension. If you wait until you see those large bags hanging from your plants, you’re too late, he said. Patton said now’s the time to go hunting just as the eggs are hatching. The young worms are about the size of a pencil-lead point and attaching themselves to branches and will start feeding, he said. Because of their small size, they’ll be hard to see and hunters will have to look on the lower side of branches, where they’ll be seen hanging from spruces or junipers, he said. He said even at a young age, they worms are good about disguising themselves as part of the branches.
Thursday, June 30, 9 a.m.
