Mealybugs maybe? A better description or a picture might help to get an ID.

Could also be aphids but, like brandon said, a picture would really be needed for best ID.

tj

I have seen groups of large black aphids on Blue Atlas Cedars here in the Seattle area. They wash off fairly easy with a strong spray of water.

Bagworms?

Resin

Thx for the responses guys. These creatures are a grayish black and come off very easily. a squirt of the hose and they go flying. They seem to squish very easily too. Problem is there are so many bunches of them all throughout the branches. The tree is about 15 feet tall. I tried to take pictures but the camera would not focus on them b/c they are too small.

Every instance of them are in bunches, and they seem to have a few legs and some kind of antenna on the front of their head. When I try to take them off with my fingers I basically squish them without even trying. SOmetimes it's hard to see them b/c they are on the underside of the branches too

Are they sucking the sap out of my cedar? I'd say about 10% of the needles turned brown and have fallen off. Will new needles replace these in teh future or will these branches remain bare for the rest of the trees life?

as always thanks in advance,
Chris