Icky Spitlebugs

Walter Reeves
by Walter Reeves
If you see masses of bubbly froth on plant stems, you have spittlebugs. The young spittlebugs attach themselves in a joint between leaf and stem and suck out plant sap. The sap is excreted in a bubbly mass around themselves, giving protection from predators and the sun. The can also be found in lawn grass and on the tips of pine limbs.
I see spittle masses on many garden plants, including on weeds. Insecticidal soap will kill them. You can also simply wash them off the plant ...... or pick them out and mash between your fingertips.
the froth you notice first
nymphs under the froth
adult spittlebug
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 9 comments
  • Teresa Seeger-Gesser Teresa Seeger-Gesser on Oct 13, 2016
    Please don't hurt them 😞
  • Jerseygal Jerseygal on Nov 02, 2016
    EEks... I saw these 'things' on plants in a neighbors garden when I was 7 or 8. I am now 75. Beyond that day, which was UNFORGETTABLE, I never saw them again...but NEVER forgot it. I thought somebody had SPIT on the plants...No wonder my memory of it is vivid. Learned something new..thanks.
Next