Is it a spittle bug?

Symptoms:
The evidence of these small sucking insects can be found along the stems and leaf petioles of the plant. The bubblely, saliva looking protective coating hides these small green to brown insects. Though their damage is minimal a large infestation can damage the plant.

Solution:
The control of thses insects is often simple. Insecticidal Soap or pyretherines can be used for control. To increase effectivness, spray the plant with water to remove some of the protective spittle before applying an insecticide.

Hi Patricia, no I don't think they are spittle bugs. I do have spittle bugs on some of the roses and just wash them off when watering. these things are different. I have seen this before, but just don't know what it is.

Thanks for your input.

Aprille

Email your pics to Baldo if someone can't help you.
I've got grasshoppers and keep finding damage on some roses like the other pics. Don't know for sure it's them, but I keep surprising the large ones in bushes when I spray off the aphids.

I think it is a type of scale, before the insects have settled down. When they are young they crawl to a spot that they like and then form a waxy shield over themselves. For this reason they are difficult to kill with an insecticide.

It might be Cottony Cushion Scale.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cottony Cushion Scale

Yep that is it - Cottony Cushion Scale - yuck! Now to figure out a way to naturally get rid of it. Sounds like Ladybugs work but they've all seemed to have left my garden. Thanks collinw.

Now if only I can figure out what is eating my young shoots.

Aprille

It is this scale that is the reason why bringing roses, even cuttings, to Europe Requires strict quarantine procedures! We just discussed this yesterday in a thread on the Antique roses forum:

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/rosesant/msg041508595127.html?20

I did not know the name of it, just that it was rose scale that had been causing much damage in the Huntington Botanical Rose Garden, and is the reason why even trained rose nursery men do not want to have any thing to do with importing roses from California to Europe. So thank you for showing the little critter. I have heard that horticultural oil is the way to get rid of them.

I am not sure what is causing the other problem. Could it be a deer , looks like it to me. Is there any footprints of these on the soil?

Looks like an animal bit it off. Rabbit? Deer? Not a puppy?

I got rid of the little buggars. Sat down and took them off by hand and really really enjoyed burning them! there were some hardened stuff and I scraped it off. My little one's enjoyed the nature lesson and the fire :o)

As to the other problem, I think it's something eating it as well. Not deer though cos we don't have any in our neighbourhood. The shoots are pretty high up for rabbits to get to or the puppy even though our puppy is pretty large. I'm wondering if squirrels do this kind of thing? The plant is against the fence so it would be easy for them to get to. oh well.

Aprille

Ick! I always thought they were mealy bugs. I guess not. I get them on my lemon tree, my heavenly bamboo, and on roses infrequently. I have hit them with ammonia spray on the citrus and oil on the roses. Does the trick. I hate to look at them.
Kathy