Many of us look forward to the warmer time of the year when we can get outside and enjoy some fresh air. The only thing that we may not appreciate about that time of year are the bugs, and there is one particular bug that is causing problems.

If you have evergreens in your area, have you noticed that they are losing some of the pine needles? Although it isn’t strange to lose some of the pine needles, there may be an insect in the larval stage that is causing it to happen to the extreme.

In fact, if you don’t protect your tree from these insects, you could even end up losing the trees.

I’m talking about the Evergreen White Bug, an insect that is also known as the silent tree killer. This little bug may not look like much, but they can do a lot of damage if they are allowed to exist in the area.

Many people recognize the bug because of the unique pouch or pouches that they create. They are made from plant waste parts, such as twigs, bark and leaves and you can often find them hiding in the tree branches.

The Evergreen moth (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis) can cause a lot of damage to evergreen and deciduous trees. The small bags that hang from the tree branches help them to hide and most look like a moth turning into a butterfly.

An adult female will lay eggs in a pouch and hang them on the tree. When the larvae hatch, they will look for a host tree and start making bags from silk they produce.

As the larvae continue to grow and shed their skin, they will sometimes fill the sacs with plant debris. In late summer or early fall, they will reach their final instar.

These worms may seem harmless but if you don’t treat the area, they can cause a lot of damage to the trees. They hide easily in the bags and you might not recognize the problem until there is a severe infestation. Eventually, they rob the tree of the ability to photosynthesize and the tree gets sick or can die.

There are ways to manage the problem but it is always better if you prevent the issue rather than helping the tree to revive after it occurs. Check the tree on a regular basis for bags hanging from the branches.

If you see the bags, cut and remove them from the area. Doing so will keep the whiteflies from causing problems.

It can be difficult to recognize the issue, so take some time to inspect the tree regularly. If you take preventative measures, you can have healthy trees for many years to come.