Anything that lays eggs on a vegetable plant is 90+% likely to be a pest you don't want. Bugs lay eggs on plants that the young are supposed to feed on. Eggs on veggies almost always equal something squish worthy. I commend you for wanting to know what the bug is (will be) before killing it, that is noble. The sad truth is that while there are zillions of bugs out there, many good, many harmless when it comes to veggy gardens the ratio is turned upside down. Most bugs in a veggy garden are either harmful or there to eat harmful bugs and bugs that lay eggs on veggies almost always are the harmful ones. Eggs on veggies=squish.

The hopping clues me in that it's the planthopper mackey77 mentioned. I have had them, they are not very damaging, though they do feed on plant juices. No need to go on a hunting expidition unless you find lots and lots of them (or they are on something really special). Plants can take some feeding damage (it's sort of like our immune system where a little challenge can bring greater overall health). Also, they (hopper larva) are pretty mobile and don't neccessarily sit in the same plant for a long time. I guess overall, not really good guy or bad guy; sort in-between guy... Cheers!

I think of my yard as "The Garden of the Good Intentions." Another gardener friend says it more bluntly - "my intentions are good but my execution stinks." Photos are terrible at showing the hoses, scattered pots, weeds, whatever. The heart sees the beauty that is there, or is dreamed of. Your garden looks good to me! Who cares about the trash bag, or tarp??? Out here, where it doesn't rain from May - Oct, every bit of lushness is a treat. People would kill for those hostas. My "Rooguci" clematis is a spindly little thing, and yours is so lovely - I've finally figured out that clematis wants way more moisture than I'm ever going to give them! Anita

They will never go away. If you spray them it will only kill the baby budworms, then the adults will lay more eggs, and you will have to spray again all year until winter. They are endemic. Pat Welch, who wrote that book on SoCal goardening, says to begin spraying in April with the maiden flight of the budworm moth at around the time of the full moon. I have to spray my garden every week. Thank goodness for BT. I use a hand held squirt bottle so I can avoid getting BT on the milkweeds and passion vines, where the butterfly larva grow up. I'm sorry. Renee