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Bug ID, please

Okay...this is sorta going back a ways, but I'm totally out of my depth
here...

I have a wonderful backyard that previous owners created and I have NO clue
how to maintain it all...the biggest problem I'm facing right now is this
strange bug I'm finding on various plants...

I first noticed it last year on a plant that borders my garage...I don't know
what kind of plant it is...just that it grows like a weed and smells like mint
when you cut the leaves, although it is no mint that I've ever seen... grows
large like a mulberry (if you let it), but has tons of leaders.  No flowers,
no fruits...just leaves.  Anyway, I was trimming it back last year and noticed
a constant stream of ants up and down a couple of the branches...  Looking
closer, I noticed that where the ants were, there were also these MUCH larger
bugs that seem to have spikes on them.  They are about as long as a pencil
eraser is wide, sorta brownish-grey and black striped down the length of their
bodies and definitely have six legs.  No discernible antennae.  When you
vigorously shake the branch, the ants sometimes fall off, but NOT these
suckers...  A strong spray of water only makes them move to the other side of
the branch.  I wound up chopping this whole plant down to the ground.  That
got rid of the bugs LAST year.  The plant, btw, is even LARGER this year than
last year! I wonder what it is! :)

The bad news is that these lousy bugs have moved onto my tomatoes!!!!  And,
they've brought those rotten ants with them!! :(  They're also tearing into my
antique rose bush...

Oh, help!!! What kinda bug IS this thing?  I'm afraid to TOUCH the thing...
I'm afraid it'll sting me or something...

Whatever plants these bugs latch onto tend to totally droop, too.  It doesn't
stop the plant fighting, though...they all try to grow even harder and bigger,
BUT these bugs are literally sucking the LIFE out of these babies...

Can someone PLEASE help me?  I'd like to encourage the things to move on to
someone ELSE's backyard! :)

Thanks!

Lisa Lisa

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