The adults emerge in late August through September to mate and lay eggs. Each female lays six to eight eggs in a single needle and 10 to 12 needles are used. These eggs can be located after a hard frost turns the egg laying scar yellow. Control Hints Best controls are obtained when the larvae are still small, so look for the straw-like needles left behind by the young larvae. The egg laying scars can also be seen by inspecting the needles in late winter.
Rodents often eat the pupae in the soil.
These agents are usually not adequate in urban settings. If the needles containing overwintered eggs can be found before they hatch, they can be pulled off the plants and destroyed. Do not simply through on the ground since the eggs can still hatch. Mechanical Control - Colonies of larvae can be easily removed by clipping off the infested branch. Place these branches in a plastic bag and destroy.