Well, this is a naughty admission but it’s the only pest for which i use spray insecticide. I am extremely parsimonious with it. I only ever use the spray when i see an infestation. I then spray only the affected plant, and never on a windy day. In ten years I’ve had to use the spray five times in total. Twice in the first year, once each in the two succeeding years. Then a long gap, then I got another attack about three years ago, presumably migrating in from elsewhere. I sprayed that plant and have not had any more since. I have a garden full of birds, bumble bees, damselflies and other insects, so i think (hope) I have not made a huge environmental impact. And I have fritillaries and lilies in abundance. I was put onto this idea by a nursery which sprayed once at the start of the season for Solomon’s Seal slug sawfly and used a systemic insecticide just on the infestation and only when the larvae were on the leaves, to break the reproductive cycle.
I've been knocking them into a small jar of washing up liquid solution. At the beginning I was not good at catching them, and they fell to the ground, but I found sloshing a bit of solution onto them killed them.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
Yes though lilies are their favourite, they will go for fritillary, and others if there's nothing else. We do as others say, pot or small tray, get them to drop, and deal with them as you wish.
Thanks all. I'm not sure there will be anything as effective ( or satisfying) as squashing them but I've today taken delivery of some Neem oil. Never used it before so a complete experiment, but it might be effective on the sawfly so hoping for double the result! I'll have to keep you posted.
Never seen them on my extensive collection of different types of Solomon's seal. I have had them on Lilies next to the Seal but never had any cross over.
Thanks for the heads up. First time ever I found a lily beetle on a Polygonatum. Also because I was looking I found the sawflies laying eggs so dealt with them too.
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