Deadly Plant Disease – Xyella
Scientists are worried that a deadly plant disease, Xyella, could be carried between plants by the Spittlebug. The bacterium is not currently found in the UK.
The insect is active between May and June, they feed off plants but don’t harm them, however they leave a foamy substance behind known as Spittle. Scientists are asking people to report sightings of Spittle so that if any outbreaks occur they can be tracked. The insect is not a pest and there is no need to remove them.
If Xyella was found in the UK, all plants within a 100m radius would need to be destroyed with a 5km plant quarantine for up to 5 years because the disease could wipe out native UK plant species.
The RHS has the following link to reporting sightings of Spittlebug:
https://irecord.org.uk/survey-xylem-feeding-insects