White Fuzzy Problem Solved

Q. What are those “white fuzzies” on the stems of tomato, peppers, beans, and even outdoor landscape plants?

White fuzzies (as I call them) are egg masses from insects closely resembling tiny cicadas.

A.  These are “plant or leaf hopper” egg masses. Thanks to everyone who responded. Planthoppers and leaf hoppers are basically the same insect. The female lays her eggs on the surface and then covers them with a whitish waxy fuzz. You never see immatures because they drop to the ground from the eggs, much like cicadas. You only see weak winged adults like the grape leafhopper. 

Unconfirmed Eutypa dieback (Pierces disease) on table grapes.

The only times they cause plant problems are when there are lots of them (grape leafhoppers) or when they send viruses and bacteria such as those that cause Pierce’s Disease.

            When these immature forms hatch from these eggs, they even look like very tiny cicadas. If you did see the immature forms from without the help of a magnifier, you might mistake them for flies. Once in the soil, they feed on plant roots until they are adults and need to reproduce. In the case of Eutypa dieback, these insects transmit this disease by feeding on the roots.