Oh, The Things People Believe!

  It is funny how many "old wives' tales" stick around and are believed by those who obviously cannot think for themselves.  The preposterous ideas remain steadfast and are defended vehemently.  One such idea popped into my head today as I was hiking to the pier with the old dog, Mr. PJ.  He has a liking for a certain grass that grows near the marsh edge so I have to sort of be on watch for snakes while he munches.  Since he is not a true "Bayou Dog", as of yet, he is a bit oblivious to snakes and just might graze his way right on top of one.  A nasty bite from a cottonmouth would surely do the old fellow in so I try to stay between the dog and the danger zone.   While he was eating, I noticed "Snake Spit" on most of the larger stalked plants that were popping up in the boggy soil.  With the sight of the white, foamy goop on the stems of the plants, my brain started sliding back in time when Mark and I first married.  The "Snake Spit" was ingrained in some of the family members' heads and they would immediately start sprinting from the area.  Regardless of my explanation of what the goo actually is, they still stuck with their belief of it actually being snake spit.  They were not open to any explanations and actually called me a few names that were not the nicest.  So, I quit trying to give any information.  Let folks believe the ridiculousness if they wish.  

  Snake Spit has nothing to do with snakes at all. The white foam is actually the product of a small bug called (of all things) a spittlebug.  This little critter that greatly resembles the leafhopper is the culprit that adorns the garden with the unsightly mess.  The mama spittlebug lays her eggs on the stalks of plants and when those eggs hatch, the little ones immediately start to suck the plant juices from the stalk.  While some is used for food, most is turned into that foamy mess.  This hides the nymph, keeps it from drying out and regulates the temperature around the nymph.  Since the nymph is so tiny, not too many predators will take a bite of the nasty tasting foam for a minuscule tidbit of a bug.

  My thoughts, today, were not really about that bug and its foamy home but were more about how forcefully some folks stick with their misguided ideas.  Never try to change these folks minds.  You will talk yourself blue in the face and still not convince them that what they have long believed is erroneous. With the spittlebugs and their "snake spit", this all comes from a deep seated fear of snakes.  The same folks who argued me down about the origin of the spittle are also the ones that think that every snake is "poisonous" and that snakes actually stalk people just to bite  them.  (Don't even try to explain the difference between poisonous and venomous...just don't.  It is a losing battle.)  Poor, misguided folks.  They do not realize how many amazing things they are missing because of fear.  Yep. even those spittle bugs are pretty amazing when you think about it.