Spitty bug?

[Mil]

Does anyone know what is doing this? It looks like something is spitting all over my parsley. It's not an all year thing; it just started when the weather got warmer. Is it beneficial or not? If not, what would be a good chem-free way of getting rid of them?

[Nikki]

Looks like you've got spittlebugs - the nymphs make the 'foam' to protect from predators and to keep from drying out.  They are generally the product of highly fertilized areas.
They're not really beneficial, but they're not really harmful either.  They like grass more than anything, so they *can* be harmful to somebody looking for a perfect-green lawn.  They rinse off pretty easily, other than that I don't know how to get rid of them because fortunately I've never had to wage an all-out war against any bugs in my garden.

[Mil]

Thanks, Nikki. Glad to hear they're not harmful. I don't mind them as I'm not into having a lawn of green grass. We have flowers and edibles instead.

I'm surprised about the highly fertilized, though. I've been struggling with that bed, and the only thing that has been successful there has been an artichoke. I did add some compost last year and maybe that has made all the difference.