Pest identification
What's eating my lemon thyme?
Aphids
Signs: Soft green or black insects on new shoot tips; sticky honeydew; leaves curl and yellow.
Control: Water jet or insecticidal soap; neem oil; prune and discard heavily infested tips.
Spittlebugs / froghoppers (Philaenus spumarius)
Signs: White frothy blobs on stems in spring and early summer; stems may distort but damage is usually cosmetic.
Control: Blast foam and nymphs off with a hose; no chemical treatment usually needed for healthy plants.
Spider mites
Signs: Pale stippling across leaves; webbing under foliage; worst in hot, dry, poorly ventilated spots.
Control: Increase watering frequency; neem oil spray; improve air circulation around plants.
Slugs & snails
Signs: Young shoots and tender new growth eaten, particularly after rain.
Control: Iron phosphate pellets; copper tape on pots; hand-pick at night.
Keep lemon thyme pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Lemon Thyme pests — FAQ
What is eating my lemon thyme?
Lemon Thyme suffers most from aphids on soft tips and spider mites in dry summers. Its woody stems attract spittlebugs (froghoppers) in spring, which encase themselves in foam on stems. Slugs target new growth. The plant's essential oils repel some pests, but in a garden setting aphids colonize it reliably each season.
How do I get rid of aphids on lemon thyme?
Soft green or black insects on new shoot tips; sticky honeydew; leaves curl and yellow. Water jet or insecticidal soap; neem oil; prune and discard heavily infested tips.
How do I get rid of spittlebugs / froghoppers (philaenus spumarius) on lemon thyme?
White frothy blobs on stems in spring and early summer; stems may distort but damage is usually cosmetic. Blast foam and nymphs off with a hose; no chemical treatment usually needed for healthy plants.
How do I get rid of spider mites on lemon thyme?
Pale stippling across leaves; webbing under foliage; worst in hot, dry, poorly ventilated spots. Increase watering frequency; neem oil spray; improve air circulation around plants.
How do I get rid of slugs & snails on lemon thyme?
Young shoots and tender new growth eaten, particularly after rain. Iron phosphate pellets; copper tape on pots; hand-pick at night.