Scientists warn of foamy substance found on plants that can spread disease
Gardeners beware! Scientists warn of foamy substance on plants that should not be touched
Scientists have issued a warning about a substance appearing on plants this summer that could potentially be toxic to your garden.
While the warmer weather means many of us are starting to spend more time outside, gardeners are being asked to watch for a ball of foam appearing on the foliage that they shouldn’t touch.
The tiny foamy secretions called saliva are produced by an insect called a burrowing bug.
As the insect sucks sap from a plant for nourishment, it covers itself in a ball of foam for protection, which is often left on plants and grass.
However, scientists have previously raised concerns that the burrowing bugs may be a carrier of a deadly plant disease called Xyella.
The Spittle insects pierce and suck cell sap from plants with foamy white substance secretions
If Xyella were found in the UK, strict measures would be put in place to prevent its spread as it has the potential to wipe out plant species native to the UK.
Any plant carrying Xyella would be destroyed, as well as all other plants within 100 yards.
A 5 km plant quarantine would also be observed for five years afterwards to ensure there was no spread.
Scientists are asking people to report sightings of the spittlebug’s saliva, just in case, so that any outbreaks can be linked and tracked to their cause.
bug life; The Common Froghopper (Philaenus spumarius) also called a spittlebug or cuckoo spit insect pictured on a plant
Cuckoo saliva shield protecting a spittle beetle nymph, and is a common sight in gardens at this time of year
The red-and-black spitting bug catches its offspring, called froghoppers, on plants that contain the foam.
The insect is usually active from the end of May to the end of June, which means that it is currently peak season for sightings.
In general, the creatures don’t remove enough nutrition to harm the plants, nor do they hurt humans. But because of the potential risk of spreading the plant disease, gardeners are encouraged to keep an eye on the saliva bugs
That’s what a spokesperson for the Spittlebug survey said Yorkshire Live“Please let us know if you see saliva, nymphs (juveniles) or adults of the xylem-feeding insects (spittlebugs/rayhoppers and some locusts) that have the potential to act as vectors of the bacteria.”