Spittlebug Control: How To Get Rid of Spittlebugs

This page is a spittlebug control guide. By using the products and methods suggested, you will get rid of spittlebugs. Follow this guide and use the recommended products, and we guarantee 100% control of spittlebugs.

Spittlebugs are a tiny, plant-sucking insect that gets its name from the frothy substance they release on plants that looks like spittle. There are approximately 2500 different species of spittlebugs that have been discovered.

Spittlebugs are excellent hiders, often covering themselves with a foam-like substance to go into hiding. They secrete this solution from their backs and use the covering to withstand a variety of temperature extremes, hide from predators, and to keep their bodies moist. Spittlebugs hide so well that most homeowners only see their secretions and rarely see the bugs themselves.

The damage they cause is not very harmful to plants, but their shelters are a nuisance to have to get rid of. They can also infest turfgrasses, creating occasional browning and discoloration in the lawn. While the spittlebugs themselves are not very harmful, they are known to transfer bacteria to crop-producing plants, causing leaf scorch and halting crop production.

Nevertheless, having to remove the spittlebug shelters from your grass and plants can be annoying. Follow the step-by-step directions below to get rid of spittlebugs so your lawn and plants can stay green and clean throughout the season by using our professionally recommended products and tips.

Identification

Before you can apply pesticides, it is important to first identify the pest you are dealing with and make sure they it is indeed a spittlebug. Careless identification can lead you to using the wrong treatment methods, costing you money and time. Below are some identifying traits to know what spittlebugs look like:

• The easiest way to know you are dealing with spittlebugs is to look for their shelters. Spittlebug shelters are white, bubbly masses that are usually 3/4 of an inch in size. These shelters are not actually spit they are producing. Its excrement.
• The spittlebug themselves are small, growing up to 1/4 of an inch in length. They have soft, elongated bodies that are tan, pale yellow, or green in color, and they have large eyes on the sides of their head.
• Spittlebugs are actually the nymphal phase of the froghopper, a bug named because they resemble frogs and they hop well. Adult froghoppers typically grow to about 1/3 of an inch in length. Their bodies are arched upward, similar to how a frog holds its posture, and they have enlarged hind legs for jumping.
• Froghoppers can often be confused with other insects like leafhoppers and treehoppers. Though similar, these are very different pests with different behaviors that will impact your approach to treatment. To tell these pests apart, leafhoppers have spines lining one or more pairs of legs. Froghoppers lack these spines and have stouter bodies. Treehoppers, on the other hand, usually have elongated pronotums that look like horns.

Use the description and image above to help you to identify a spittlebug on your property. If you are not completely sure, contact us with a photo of sample of your pest through phone, email, or in-person at one of our store locations. This way we can help you to properly identify the pest you have and then offer appropriate product recommendations for control.

Inspection

Once you have properly identified spittlebugs, you can move forward with an inspection. In this phase, you will try to pinpoint the areas spittlebugs are active so you know where to focus your pesticide applications.

Where to Inspect

Start with a careful inspection of your lawn and garden to see where the most spittlebug activity is. A few spittlebugs in your yard is normal, but note any large concentrations of pest activity.

What to Look For

Look for the spittle shelters as well as the bugs themselves, both the nymphs and the adult froghoppers. If you are noticing patches of discolored grass, look for the bugs and their shelters towards the bases of grass blades.

Treatment

After identifying your pest and inspecting for activity on your property, its time to start treatment. Before starting any treatment, be sure to wear your personal protective equipment (PPE) and remember to keep all people and pets off the treated areas until dry.

Use Supreme IT Insecticide as a broadcast treatment to eliminate the threat of spittlebugs. Supreme IT will be used to repel and kill spittle Bugs from your turfgrass, ornamentals, garden plants and small landscaping bushes.

Step 1: Water Plants and Lawn

First, wash away any spittlebugs off shrubs, ornamentals, and turfgrass with a stream of water. Alternatively, you may wipe them with a damp cloth.

Water your foliage and lawn with no more than an inch of irrigation per week.

Step 2: Apply Supreme IT Insecticide To Yard and Ornamentals

Once the spittlebugs and their shelters have been removed, you can apply a long-lasting residual insecticide like Supreme IT. Supreme IT is bifenthrin liquid insecticide concentrate that's labeled to control spittlebugs and more than 70 other pests.

This product will need to be mixed with water before application, so we recommend you mix and apply with a handheld pump sprayer.

Before mixing your product, calculate your treatment areas square footage to determine how much Supreme IT you will need to use. You can do this be measuring the length and width of the treatment site in feet then multiplying them together (length X width = square footage).

Apply 0.25 to 0.5 fl. oz. of Supreme IT in 1 gallon of water per 1,000 sq. ft. 

Once your solution is evenly mixed, spray the top and bottom of ornamental leaves to the point of wet, but not runoff.

Then, broadcast the solution evenly over your entire lawn. If applying Supreme IT, do not apply the solution to any plants grown for consumption. Allow the product to dry, and do not let any people or pets into the treatment area.

Once dry, Supreme IT will leave a residual chemical barrier that will repel and control pests for up to 90 days. Labeled pests, including spittlebugs, that come in contact with the spray or the residual will have their nervous systems impacted and will eventually die in several hours.

Prevention

Once the spittlebugs have been eradicated, you do not want them returning to your yard. Some preventative measures you can take include:

• Adult froghoppers will lay their eggs in plant debris, so clean up leaf litter, regularly rake and dethatch your lawn, and pick up any fallen twigs and branches to keep your yard neat and free of any egg-laying sites.
• Avoid overwatering your garden and keep your lawn properly drained, since standing water can attract all kinds of pests to your yard. If you can't wash away spittlebug shelters without overwatering your lawn, then it is okay to wipe them off as mentioned earlier.
• Finally, keep up with regular pesticide applications to protect your yard year-round. With Supreme IT, you will want to make retreatments every 3 months for complete control.

Key Takeaways

What are Spittlebugs?

• Spittlebugs are tiny insects known to suck the sap of plants. They do minimal damage but are more of an annoyance due to their tendency to produce a foamy substance that is left on the plants that they consume.

How To Get Rid of Spittlebugs

• Our top recommendation for spittlebug control is Supreme IT. First, you will need to water your plants and foliage to remove their shelters. Once this is done you can then apply Supreme IT.

Preventing Spittlebug Reinfestation

• Preventing Spittlebugs involves cultural methods of control (mowing, watering, general lawn care maintenance) and preventative applications of Supreme IT to keep the bugs away.