Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Lily beetles and sunflower oil

markandres100markandres100 Posts: 10
in Problem solving
On the main site's page on lily beetles, it suggests using sunflower oil as a treatment. Would this be the normal oil I'd use for frying or would it have to be unrefined or formulated for use in gardens? Does it work as well as neem oil [this is my first infestation so have used either]? What effect will sunflower oil have on the compost in the pots?

Posts

  • didywdidyw Posts: 3,573
    Doing anything other than being vigilant and pulling off the beetles when spotted and crushing the underfoot sounds like too much of a faff.  It's not as if you can't see them or anything! 
    Gardening in East Suffolk on dry sandy soil.
  • markandres100markandres100 Posts: 10
    Aye, I've been popping out every hour over the last couple of days since I spotted the first one [luckily I remembered GW having a segment about them] on Saturday evening. Was fortunate to catch one as she was laying her eggs and I've not found any other leaves with eggs on. 

    Caught two beetles this morning which were tiddlers compared to the ones caught saturday and sunday. 
  • markandres100markandres100 Posts: 10
    It's been seven days since I saw my last lily beetle. I maybe caught ten beetles over a week, one in the process of laying, on my seven plants. No sign of larvae or eggs so I'm hoping that I'm done with them for the year. I'll replace the compost after they've died off.
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    We came here in 1978 and the lilies were in situ. They have never increased even though we have checked and removed the beetles.
    We have still continued to check and remove but....
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    edited June 2021
    There's a house I pass when I drive into town that has Pyrennean lilies in front of the window. It's not a garden, we have lived here for many tears and I have never seen it touched. They were a relatively small patch at first, but over the years they have spread to cover the entire space, right up to the roadside (there's no fence). it is looking beautiful at the moment!
    I'm guessing lily beetles aren't a major problem here!
    There are no gardens anywhere in close proximity to mine  or the lily owner's and I think it does help with some  pest and disease control, especially ones that target specific plants, as there is no local reservoir of infection. :)
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    It just goes against all my gardening instincts to use anything oily on plants … the possibility of blocking stomata and providing a sticky surface for fungal spores to land on just seems wrong to me. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    We don't get much of a problem here either with them, but when we had two mild winters and hotter summers, we had an infestation. I picked them off, and then made sure I got all the grubs too, and they're are none this year. 

    I can't see how oil would be a good thing to use either. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I've found snipping them in half with pointy nail scissors has worked for me because if I try to squash them, I drop half of them. I'm not organised enough to do the paper thing.
    Putting oil on plants doesn't seem right to me either.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
Sign In or Register to comment.