You may not have know what they were called, but chances are good that you've seen them around Richmond.
Spittlebugs, also known as froghoppers, live all over the state. While you may not have heard them called by name, you've probably encountered these bugs in most seasons of the year.
What Do Spittlebugs Look Like?
While the adults grow to be about a quarter to a half inch in length, and are usually a dull brownish color (some with red or orange stripes), the nymphs are the most noticeable. After overwintering as eggs, the nymphs hatch and create spittle - thus the name - which looks like white frothy bubbles on a plant. Inside the froth, the nymph is either yellow or green, depending on the age. It will stay like this for about a month or so, before becoming an adult. The spittle-foam protects the nymphs from drying out as they grow into adults.
The adult spittlebugs, more commonly called Froghoppers because of their incredible jumping abilities, look similar in a lot of ways to a cicada. They come from the same family of insects, but the spittlebugs are able to jump more than two feet into the air.
Are Spittlebugs Harmful?
The way that the spittlebugs make their covering of foam is through the process of sucking plant juices from the blades, stems, and leaves of plants. In most cases, the spittlebug prefers grasses, which can cause sometimes irreparable damage to your yard, causing the plants to turn yellow and then brown as they die. As they create their foam shield, the plants they take from begin to die. An infestation of these bugs can ruin lawns and gardens quickly every spring.
How Do I Get Rid of Spittlebugs?
Because spittlebugs overwinter as eggs that hatch in the spring, the best defense against them is early season yard pest control. The first application of the barrier needs to be in place as the bugs begin to hatch in the spring, stopping them before they can destroy your newly growing grasses and plants.
It will also help to keep your yard tidy and your garden in good order. Longer grasses and unkempt plants are good hideouts for the spittlebugs to begin infestations.
Our products are proven to help control not just spittlebugs, but hundreds of other insects as well. Call us today and prepare yourself for spring!
To learn more about the pests we have in Virginia, check out our pest library
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