Oak: Oak treehoppers

Biology

The oak treehopper belongs to a family of plant lice distantly related to aphids. However, they are fairly hard-bodied and the adults bear a pointed hood on the back behind the head. They are quite attractive in that they are variably colored with red and cream stripes with some black spots below the hood in front. When numerous, these insects can kill twigs both by sucking the sap and by laying eggs in slits in the bark. They rarely cause serious damage to the trees.

Management Options

Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for successful plant problem management.

Non-chemical Management

Select non-chemical management options as your first choice!

• Hand remove when practical.
• Hosing will work on non-winged nymphs; not adults.

Chemical Management

IMPORTANT: Visit Home and Garden Fact Sheets for more information on using pesticides.

• None recommended