I grow lots of lilies and never get lily beetles. I drench the soil with a very dilute solution of neem oil. I do this every 3-4 weeks during the spring as they start poking up.
Has worked so far.
Bee x
Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
Did you get them before the neem oil @Bee witched, the UK distribution map shows them as not really prevalent in scotland yet (apart from that belt across the borders which may well cover you?)
I think they are less prevalent up here .... but I did have them about 5 years ago. I live is southern Scotland .... just about 10 miles from the border with England.
I was already using neem for gooseberry sawfly, so gave it a go for the lilies. I don't bother for the fritillaries as they are out when it's still quite cool. The problem I have with them is that the local pheasants bite all the heads off
Haven't solved that issue yet
Bee x
Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
I use it preventatively, but if you already have the beetles try a spray of diluted neem oil .... it is totally organic and is derived by pressing the seed kernels of the neem tree.
I use it for lily beetles and sawfly on gooseberries / solomons seal and aruncus. Also use it if the aphids get too bad on the roses.
I use it as soon as growth starts in April and I drench the foliage. Any spare solution goes onto the soil below as the earthworms are supposed to love it. I repeat spray every few weeks.
Neem is best used preventatively .... but will work on pests that have already arrived. It does not hurt beneficial insects. Only chewing and sucking insects are affected. The main reason is that insects need to ingest the neem oil to be affected, and beneficial insects don't eat your plants. However, you can still kill beneficial insects if you smother them with neem oil, so I tend to spray late evening to be safe.
It does stink a bit ... but is easy to mix up and apply.
I got mine off ebay .... wasn't expensive for a big bottle which will last ages. At room temperature it is solid, but goes liquid again within a couple of hours in the airing cupboard.
Worth a try.
Bee x
Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
Posts
I drench the soil with a very dilute solution of neem oil. I do this every 3-4 weeks during the spring as they start poking up.
Has worked so far.
Bee x
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
I think they are less prevalent up here .... but I did have them about 5 years ago.
I live is southern Scotland .... just about 10 miles from the border with England.
I was already using neem for gooseberry sawfly, so gave it a go for the lilies.
I don't bother for the fritillaries as they are out when it's still quite cool.
The problem I have with them is that the local pheasants bite all the heads off
Haven't solved that issue yet
Bee x
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
Some info about the neem oil here.
https://plantcaretoday.com/neem-oil-for-plants.html#why-does-neem-oil-work-as-a-pesticide
I use it preventatively, but if you already have the beetles try a spray of diluted neem oil .... it is totally organic and is derived by pressing the seed kernels of the neem tree.
I use it for lily beetles and sawfly on gooseberries / solomons seal and aruncus. Also use it if the aphids get too bad on the roses.
See this link for further info.
http://www.discoverneem.com/neem-oil-insecticide.html
and this one for how to make it.
https://www.discoverneem.com/neem-insect-spray.html
I use it as soon as growth starts in April and I drench the foliage. Any spare solution goes onto the soil below as the earthworms are supposed to love it. I repeat spray every few weeks.
Neem is best used preventatively .... but will work on pests that have already arrived. It does not hurt beneficial insects. Only chewing and sucking insects are affected. The main reason is that insects need to ingest the neem oil to be affected, and beneficial insects don't eat your plants. However, you can still kill beneficial insects if you smother them with neem oil, so I tend to spray late evening to be safe.
It does stink a bit ... but is easy to mix up and apply.
I got mine off ebay .... wasn't expensive for a big bottle which will last ages. At room temperature it is solid, but goes liquid again within a couple of hours in the airing cupboard.
Worth a try.
Bee x
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime