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Spittlebugs

Spittlebugs

Family Aphrophoridae

Insectalso: Froghoppers

Best known for the frothy blob of spit-like foam on plant stems in late spring, spittlebugs are sap-sucking insects whose nymphs hide and feed inside that protective foam. The foam is more startling than harmful, and on most garden plants the feeding does little real damage.

🔎 How to spot it

The unmistakable sign is a mass of white, bubbly foam on stems and leaf joints, with a small, soft, pale green or yellow nymph tucked inside it. The adults, called froghoppers, are stout, wedge-shaped, tan-to-brown hoppers about a third of an inch with enlarged hind legs that let them jump well; they resemble leafhoppers. There is usually one generation a year, in spring.

🥀 Damage it causes

Nymphs suck sap from stems and leaves under cover of their foam, which can cause slight stunting, leaf distortion, or wilting of tender growth, but on established garden and woody plants the damage is mostly cosmetic. The foam itself is the main complaint. Strawberries and some herbs and ornamentals show the most feeding effect.

🛡️ Prevent it

Spittlebugs rarely need any prevention in a home garden. Clearing heavy leaf litter and weeds where the eggs overwinter trims numbers, and keeping plants healthy lets them shrug off the light feeding. Scout in late spring if strawberries or favored plants have had trouble before.

🧯 If it is already here

A simple, strong spray of water knocks the nymphs out of their foam and off the plant, which is usually all that is needed. For the rare heavy infestation on a valued plant, insecticidal soap aimed at the nymphs works, but treatment is seldom warranted. Tolerate the foam on established plants, since it does no lasting harm.

💡 Good to know

The foam is produced by the nymph from plant sap and air and serves to hide it from predators, shield it from drying out, and buffer temperature; it is harmless to handle. Because spittlebugs do so little damage on most plants, the usual best response is simply to hose off the foam and move on.

🌱 Plants it attacks

714 plants in the library can be attacked by this pest

Acorn SquashAdirondack Blue PotatoAdzuki BeanAfrican Blue BasilAfrican MarigoldAgapanthusAgeratumAgrimonyAji Amarillo Pepper🍓Albion StrawberryAlice du Pont Mandevilla🥔All Blue PotatoAlmondAloe VeraAmbrosia CornAmerican BasswoodAmerican Beauty Dragon FruitAmerican BeechAmerican PersimmonAmethyst Falls WisteriaAmish Paste TomatoAnaheim PepperAnemoneAngelique TulipAngeloniaAniseAnise HyssopAnjou PearAnnabelle Smooth HydrangeaAnnual VincaApeldoorn TulipApple MintApril Tryst CamelliaArbequina OliveArizona Sun Blanket FlowerArkin CarambolaArmenian CucumberAroniaArp RosemaryArugulaAshwagandhaAsian PearAsian PersimmonAtemoyaAtlantic Giant Pumpkin🥕Atomic Red CarrotAucubaAugust Beauty GardeniaAunt Molly's Ground CherryAutumn Joy SedumAvocadoBachelor's ButtonBalsam FirBalsam PoplarBanana PepperBarbara Karst BougainvilleaBartlett PearBay LaurelBayberryBeach PlumBeauregard Sweet PotatoBecky Shasta DaisyBee Balm🍅Beefmaster TomatoBenarys Giant ZinniaBengal Tiger CannaBetter Boy Tomato🥬Bibb Lettuce🍅Big Beef TomatoBig Boy TomatoBilberryBing CherryBitter MelonBlack BeanBlack Beauty EggplantBlack Beauty ZucchiniBlack Beluga LentilBlack Cherry TomatoBlack CrowberryBlack Currant🍉Black Diamond WatermelonBlack Kabouli ChickpeaBlack Krim TomatoBlack RaspberryBlack Sapote🥬Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce🥕Black Spanish RadishBlack Tartarian CherryBlack WalnutBlack-Eyed PeaBlack-eyed Susan VineBlood OrangeBloomsdale SpinachBlue Bird DelphiniumBlue Bird Rose of SharonBlue FescueBlue Lake Green BeanBluecrop BlueberryBocking 14 ComfreyBok Choy

For educational and informational purposes only. Pest control advice is general guidance drawn from university cooperative extension sources; always identify a pest positively and read and follow the label on any product before use, especially around food crops, children, and pets.