Check this out looks like someone spat all over my Daintree Pine.
It’s not someone being disgusting.
It’s an insect, well a nymph really (a nymph is the immature form of an insect).
This is the Spittlebug nymph.
The nymph produces 'spittle' clinging on the stems of shrubs or small trees.
They prefer pine like trees.
The nymph lives immersed in masses of the spit like liquid. It is believed that this will reduce the risk of dehydration and to deter parasites.
The adults are excellent jumpers and are sometimes called frog hoppers. Supposedly their faces look like frogs but at 0.5cm long I have no idea how one makes that judgement call! They insert their needle like stylets into the plant tissue to feed. They are sapsuckers which feed on the leaves, twigs, branches and/or trunk of the host trees.
There are around 230000 species of spittlebug (mind just blown). I have no idea which one I have as mine are still in baby spit stage!
They say when the spittlebug is in spit form they cause no real damage (unless you have a huge infestation). Simply putting your hose on high pressure and blasting them off is enough. If you need to spray an organic spray like eco oil or neem oil would work but you would need a few applications.
I like to mix my neem oil with Triple Boost and give the plants a feed at same time. I find insect infestations are usually a sign of a weak plant.
So have you ever seen a spittlebug in your garden?