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foam on plants

Liccle trinity · 2013-06-30 09:50:25

Anyone any ideas if this foam on my garden plants is ok or not? Im wondering if there is some sort of plight affecting them, quite a few plants are on their way out.

30-06-2013 10:50am

#1

Liccle trinity

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Anyone any ideas if this foam on my garden plants is ok or not?
Im wondering if there is some sort of plight affecting them, quite a few plants are on their way out.

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#2 30-06-2013 10:51am

ted1

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Also curious it's on my lavender and thyme

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#3 30-06-2013 10:53am

Liccle trinity

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Yeah the lavender has been there years and never seen this foam before.

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#4 30-06-2013 10:55am

ted1

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Little bit of research suggests its a spittlebug

http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/qa/milky-white-foam-stems-leaves.aspx

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#5 30-06-2013 10:57am

viper123

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They are insect eggs laid by some kind of beetle in protective foam, I can't remember what species though

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#6 30-06-2013 11:01am

Liccle trinity

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Thanks a mil. Much appreciated.

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#7 30-06-2013 11:18am

pwurple

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That is cuckoo spit. Nothing to do with cuckoos, it's an insect.

Usually I just wash it off with a few jets from a hose. If it is really bad and you are not eating the plants, go for general insecticide. Bug clear or similar.

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#8 30-06-2013 12:24pm

magicbastarder

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pwurple wrote: »

If it is really bad and you are not eating the plants, go for general insecticide. Bug clear or similar.

i don't think it's worth buying insecticide for cuckoo spit; it's rarely that bad, and relatively easily controlled.

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#9 01-07-2013 11:01am

pwurple

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magicbastarder wrote: »

i don't think it's worth buying insecticide for cuckoo spit; it's rarely that bad, and relatively easily controlled.

Righto. So to clarify, when I wrote 'If it's really bad', I meant, you know... "if it's really bad". Which it rarely is. :rolleyes:

As above, hose with water will do fine.

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#10 01-07-2013 11:19am

Mothman

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In each blob of foam there is a froghopper nymph (baby). Have a look! The foam is produced by the nymph.
The foam will disappear soon as the nymphs mature into adults. While they do suck sap, the harm to plants is minimal. It may well be that insecticide will not be effective through the foam anyway, never mind the knock on effects on "good" bugs. If used now, it would seem to work, because the foam is due to disappear in any case.

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#11 01-07-2013 9:01pm

wexie

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Hi everybody,

I was just out watering the plants, bit of a chore but as long as the weather lasts I'll gladly do it every evening (glass of wine in hand ).

Anyways, I noticed a lot of plants have some form of foam on them, which I believe to be some kind of eggs, or protection for eggs of crickets? I've seen it in previous years and that's the best I can make of it.

My questions are :

1) is it harmful to the plants? (I've been rinsing it off for the moment)
2) what puts it there / lays it? Presumably there are currently no crickets around? At least I haven't seen any?

Hope someone knows, I'm quite curious.

thanks!!

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#12 01-07-2013 9:06pm

pwurple

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9 threads down, same topic.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056982807

It's cuckoo spit.

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#13 01-07-2013 9:08pm

wexie

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pwurple wrote: »

9 threads down, same topic.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056982807

It's cuckoo spit.

Ah thank you, and apologies.

Cuckoo spit

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#14 02-07-2013 9:16am

prospect

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It is from larve, chewing on the sap???
(something like that anyway).

I washed it off my lavender the other evening with the garden hose. Within 2 hours it was just as bad again.

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