Blue star J squamata needs help

[qwerty Bonsai]

My blue star juniper seems dying. It has been in this pot since early spring 2020, starting to get brown needles/branches last fall.
What was wrong with it? It has minor scale infestation early this year which I treated with rubbing alcohol and neem oil, also suspect spider mites but I do not see web. It does have new growth after that ( all those new blue colors) however, the inside is getting worse.

Anything I can do to help this little fella?

I originally planned to repot it in spring, but due to its condition, I stayed put. Should I do an emergency repot?

 

[SlayingCondors]

It doesn't look it's dying to me.

As the owner of a squamata for a few years, I've found that its needles are pretty much always turning brown as it grows, starting with those closest to the trunk, so it can divert its energies to the extremities reaching for light.

It's annoying for a lot of bonsai people but you just have to stay on top of it, removing brown needles as often as you can bear so the light can penetrate the foliage and support growth nearer to the trunk.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

It's annoying for a lot of bonsai people but you just have to stay on top of it, removing brown needles as often as you can bear so the light can penetrate the foliage and support growth nearer to the trunk.

Nah, you don't have to! Once a year is fine. I do my needle junipers in fall, takes a day but that saves me a lot of work throughout the year.

What I'm seeing is some damaged limbs. Needles have a capped lifespan but they're browning in an uneven fashion. This happens sometimes after some heavy root work or less ideal conditions. But as long as the tips are growing, it should survive.

OP, does the pot have holes? Proper drainage is important.
Rubbing alcohol on conifers is a dangerous game. Since they rely on wax that covers their foliage and keeps bugs out, water in and acts as a sunscreen, rubbing alcohol might not be the best course of action.
If potting soil is growing moss, it's being kept too damp. So my first point of action would be to devise a watering schedule that fits this soils properties of holding water for a long time. I water my potting soil pots twice a week if it doesn't rain.
A little wooden stick in the soil can help you probe to see if the soil is still wet. Take the stick out, if it's damp, it doesn't need water. If it's dry, it needs water. After a couple weeks you'll develop a gut feeling for it and you can go back to autopilot.

 

[qwerty Bonsai]

thanks @SlayingCondors @Wires_Guy_wires. That's great that it is normal. Will change the watering schedule, and some dead needle cleanings.