Those little brown cone-shaped bags hanging in your arborvitae or juniper aren't pinecones, they're bagworms, and they're active across Frederick County right now. They're easy to walk right past until the damage is already visible.
Each bag houses a caterpillar that feeds on needles from inside its protective casing, which is part of why bagworms are so easy to miss until a section of the tree has already gone brown. Evergreens are hit hardest because they can't regrow lost needles as quickly as deciduous trees.
A heavy infestation can kill sections of an arborvitae hedge if it goes unaddressed for more than a season or two, so catching it early makes a real difference. A privacy screen that took years to grow in can thin out fast once bagworms take hold.
Have you spotted small brown bags hanging in your evergreens this year, or noticed a section that seems thinner than the rest?
#FrederickCountyTreeCare
A close-up photo of actual bagworm bags on an arborvitae or juniper, or a wider shot showing browning sections of an affected hedge.
Canva text suggestion: "Those Aren't Pinecones" or "Bagworms Are Active This Month"