Question
We have alot of shrubs that are dying from a bug that has a cone shape with a black catipliar inside hanging at the end of the branches. Cone looks just like a little pinecone with a black catipliar feeding off the tree. Result tree turns brown looks like its dead. Can you help us with a name of this horrible insect and what to use to get rid of them.  Thank you

Answer
These are called bagworms.
If you control them early in their life cycle they are fairly easy to control. If the tree is small hand picking them is best and easy.
To control the bagworms the easiest method is to hand pick or clip off the bags from the plants during the winter or early spring before the eggs hatch. I pick the bagworms off whenever I see them on a plant, no matter what the time of year. The bags should be destroyed by crushing or putting them in soapy water. When infestation is too heavy for hand picking a biological control such as BT spray can be used. BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) is a type of bacteria that only kills certain insects and does not affect humans or animals. It works well only on young bagworms and must be applied between June 15th and July 15th to be effective.

Insecticide sprays are effective against the young larvae but bags that are 3/4 inch long or longer are very difficult to control. The bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis is effective on young caterpillars, but the material must be ingested--so thorough plant coverage is essential.

Chemical Control-Insecticide Sprays Stomach insecticides are very useful for control of bagworms. Remember that the plant foliage is to be thoroughly covered because the larvae are protected from contact by being in the silk bag. Again, early sprays against young larvae are more effective than later applications. Products registered for bagworm control are: acephate (Orthene),  bifenthrin (Talstar), carbaryl (Sevin), chlorpyrifos (Dursban), diazinon, dimethoate (Cygon),  malathion, nicotine sulfate, pyrethrum, and rotenone.