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Answers to your gardening questions |
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Five-part article series on flower-drying starts here Eight-part article series on vegetable gardening starts here Asian
Lily Beetles Japanese
Beetles An
effective Deer Fence! |
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Spittle Bugs |
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Welcome through Fred's Garden Gate! Every gardening season about this time, small clusters of
white, frothy bubbles begin to appear on just about everything, from large
trees - even pines! - to annuals, perennials, vegetables and weeds.
Our two boys referred to them as "snake-spit" but, in
actuality, they have to do with neither snakes nor spittle. Fact is,
however, their name does imply something slightly disgusting: Spittle
Bugs. Also called leafhopper, this 1/4-inch long insect with vivid green markings is common and can easily become a significant problem in both flower and vegetable gardens. Nymphs—an early
metamorphic stage that immediately follows hatching of over-wintered eggs—cover themselves in a white froth to prevent dehydration of their fragile
bodies, hence the name "spittle" bug. Effective
control is obtained by the application of dormant oil spray before foliage
emerges in the spring to prevent egg-hatching, or by later dusting liberally
with diatomaceous earth after insect presence is noted. A spray of
pyrethrin is also highly effective against immature and adult stages, as
is a dusting of Rotenone. So the next time you feel what seems like a drop of rain landing on that bald spot up on top—on a sunny day—while standing beneath a tree—it's probably not. Spittlebug nymphs continuously reinforce their foamy shelter...and that drop of water is actually bug juice. Gross! Don't you just love gardening? Enjoy what remains of your summer gardening season. |
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Find your State and County Cooperative Extension Office | Which Maine Hardiness Zone Do I Live In? (.pdf) | |||
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© 10/2007 Hill Gardens of Maine; 107 Route 3, Palermo, Maine 04354. All Rights Reserved. Updated: 08/07/11 |
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Most
gardeners fail to recognize this froth as being a problem in their yards,
but these tiny creatures more often than not carry and transmit an
unsightly leaf-curl disease. This disfiguring condition is essentially
irreversible but most plants will send out new, largely unaffected foliage
that will eventually cover the damage. The disease will likely over-winter
in the cold compost heap or in fallen stems and leaves left remaining at
the end of the season—another good reason to do a 
conscientious
and thorough job of cleaning up your garden before winter sets in... seems
to be a prudent approach.
Both are
widely accepted as natural—or biological— "insecticides" and are readily available at most farm-'n-garden
stores and large garden centers.