White foam on plants?

Spittlebugs in the Garden

If you’ve noticed frothy white foam on your plants around this time of year, it’s a sure sign of spittlebugs. Spittlebug nymphs hide (and feed) under the foam for protection.

We’ve spotted some on lavender and rosemary in our garden in recent weeks. Don’t worry. They’re not pretty to look at and the bugs do suck some plant sap, but they’re not particularly harmful to your plants.

How do you get rid of it?

You can hose the foam (and nymphs) off with a strong spray from your garden hose, or hand pick the nymphs and destroy them. Or you can leave them alone, since they tend to disappear in a few weeks.

You tend to see spittlebugs in the Northwest around May and June.