I found out what these little buggies are. They're bagworm moths, and they're pests. Apparently, once they find a food source, they hang around until it is gone. So, if I wanted to keep my evergreen, I had to get rid of the bagworms.
Using an empty plastic bag, I started picking them off one by one. I forced my daughters to help, and they were such girls about it too. Issa wouldn't pull off the bagworms that had heads still protruding from the cocoon sacks. Coral screeched everytime something flew by her head. I tried to tell her that bagworms don't hatch until September, but I don't think she was listening. There was a bee flying around her then.
It took us a good half-hour, but we got them all. I debated whether I should humanely dispose of the bagworms out in a field behind the neighborhood or not. I finally decided, not. I don't want to be responsible for causing another neighborhood infestation. All the other neighbors just cut down their evergreens and set them out for disposal, so why would I be the one who allowed them to live.
I took the full bag of cocoon and put it in a trash bag. I tied that trash bag shut-securely. (Those little suckers were not going to get out.) Then, I put the trash bag in the trash can and put the trash can out for disposal.
I've been watching my evergreen. Green shoots are sprouting all over the dying part, so I'm hopeful that the tree will come back. I've had to pick off a few more bagworms since then. I wasn't quite so conscientous about disposing of those ones. It wasn't worth the trouble. I just ran them over with my car.
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