SpittlebugsEgg-The teardrop-shaped eggs can be found under bud scales, in needle sheaths, or under the bark of dead twigs.
Nymph -Young pine spittlebug nymphs are red and black, whereas mature nymphs are chestnut brown. Saratoga spittlebug nymphs are orange and black when young and light brown to black when mature.
Host Plants -The Saratoga spittlebug prefers red and jack pine but will attack Scotch pine. Broadleaf ground cover plants, such as sweetfern, are alternate hosts.
The pine spittlebug prefers eastern white, Scotch, and jack pine, although other pines in addition to spruces, larch, hemlock, and fir are suitable hosts.
Damage -In heavy infestations, trees die from the top down in 2 or 3 years. Symptoms include flagging branches, dead terminal growth, and stunted and distorted stems and branches. Adult feeding causes characteristic red flecks and pitchy scars in the wood just below the bark. Although several spittlebugs are associated with pine, only the Saratoga and pine spittlebugs are serious pests in the eastern United States.
Life History -Spittlebugs complete only one generation per year. Eggs, which are laid in July or August, hatch the following spring, usually in May. Eggs of the pine spittlebug are laid near the terminal buds of the host tree, whereas those of the Saratoga spittlebug are laid under the bud scales or needle sheaths or under the bark of dead twigs. The nymphs of Saratoga spittlebugs crawl to the ground, where they feed at the bases of alternate hosts. Nymphs feed in groups and soon become covered with a white, frothy spittle mass. When mature, they emerge from the spittle mass, molt, and become winged adults. At this stage the Saratoga spittlebug migrates back to its primary host (pine) and begins feeding like the pine spittlebug on sap from the twigs. Adults are active from late June to late September.
The Saratoga spittlebug can be controlled by destroying or avoiding its preferred alternate hosts. Dense plantings of susceptible pines will shade out the ground cover host plants.
The pine spittlebug and, to a lesser extent, the Saratoga spittlebug can be managed by pruning out the dead and dying branches in which these pests like to deposit eggs. For specific chemical controls, see the current state extension service recommendations.