Question
Hello,

I live in Southern California, and over the last couple of years, I have had these strange looking "cocoon"-like objects both outside and inside my house.  After cutting one open under my son's dissecting scope, there appears to be a small, cream-colored inchworm inside.  The "house" that they seem to be carrying around is only about 1/2 inch long, and about 1/8 inch wide.  It is somewhat oblong, with a hole at each end where the worm pokes its head out.  If you disturb the worm from one end, it turns around inside its protective cocoon and stick it's head out the other end...  They don't seem to be destructive to my garden plants, but I am finding them in my kitchen and even hanging from the ceiling.  I am trying to get a good photo, but it is difficult to get a good picture of something this small...  The inchworm itself reminds me of a very skinny meal worm (no hair, segmented, with legs at the front).  Thanks in advance for any guidance on what this may be!

Answer
With out a picture it will be very difficult to ID the caterpillar. It is one of the bagworm species I would guess species Oiketicus --Oiketicus toumeyi or O. townsendi

Here is some information on the bagworm family of caterpillars. http://bugguide.net/node/view/122

The easiest way to control them is pick them off and destroy the bag. There are insecticides that can be used on trees to protect the foliage most common is Bt.