Did someone spit on your plants???

It's that time of the year when the spittlebugs are in full force!

I was out in my garden earlier today to discover that it's that time of the year when the spittlebugs are doing their thing. These bugs make me laugh because they really do look like someone just spit on my plants.  I can also share that when I'm teaching a workshop, it is inevitable that someone asks me about them, almost in disbelief that an insect actually creates 'spit'. LOL!  Are you seeing them in your garden yet?
 So these insects actually are a type of leafhopper. What looks like spit is a frothy mass that the nymphs are surrounded by, protecting them as they feed. From my experience they are simply a nuisance pest, not to cause any notable damage, and can be seen on just about any of your garden plants. 

Good news is that you can simply blast them off with a strong stream of water from the garden hose. It's that easy. If you see them 'reappear', blast them again. This will pretty much manage the problem. They are fairly harmless unless their numbers are exceptionally large, in which case can then possibly harm your plant, although this is very uncommon. Still, it is a good garden practice to just blast them off with the hose, monitor and repeat if necessary. Here is a photo of an adult spittlebug from the UCIPM website:

Let me know if you are seeing them. Or any other pests for that matter. 

In the meantime, enjoy your day!
Take good care and stay well,

~Suzanne