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Talkback: Lily beetles
I have grown Lillies for years and love them 2 yrs ago I saw orange beetles had eaten bude and holes in all the leaves ,my young neighbor called around and I showed him He said ''Oh they are on my plant nthey were on them when I bought them'' so I suppose they have fown over my garden wall (is the grass greener on my side of the wall) no because I pick them of and step on them but I cant keep up with them has anyone any tips for me please
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The only way is to destroy them by squashing. I use my fingernails to slice them in half. You need to do this daily I am afraid.
Hi Rosytoes - If these really are lily beetle (bright, bright red) you need to get really tough. The young larvae are even worse than the adults - they strip the leaves and cover themselves in their own dung so they look like disgusting blobs on the plants - vile. I've tried being organic but the only thing that works on these monsters is chemical spray, ask in your garden centre to give you one that will work on lily beetle. Spray at dusk (to avoid too much damage other insects) and only spray the lilies (the beetles don't attack other plants). And don't delay - do it now before they've destroyed the lot.
This year seems to be really bad I have killed more than any year I can remember.
I have loads of lilies in my garden which normally attract a regiment of lily beetles but for some strange reason I've seen very few this year...SO FAR! However in past years I have never needed to resort to a chemical solution but have found that an almost daily beetle patrol where all invaders are executed on sight ,has very effectively halted their progress through my plants.....this has not seemed onerous nor does it seem to take that long provided they are hunted down regularly. When I spot one I cup my hand under the host leaf before the pest has time to drop to the floor out of sight....(its natural reaction to danger)....I then tap the leaf and catch the catch the insect as it drops into my hand. With very bad infestations however you can commit mass genocide by placing a cloth on the earth under the lily plant and then shaking the whole plant whereupon all resident beetles will abandon ship and jump out of the plant landing on the cloth when they can be dispatched.
happy dispatching
iTotally agree withb Tallulah... veryfew beetles this year.... have no idea why. So far I have only seen 2!!
I don't grow lillies as I have cats and am afraid of them being made ill by the pollen but I do grow frittillaries and lily beetles affect them ..... both snakeshead early in the year and others later. I have an iris that has been shredded and nibbled, even into the flowerhead, and wonder if this could have been the lily beetle. Although feel it may be muntjac deer as they will graze the leaves from geraniums and hellebores .... it is just one bearded iris although I have very many more bearded ones and different varieties around the garden that have not been touched. I use the pick and squash method ...don't know how this is affecting my karma.
Pick them off and squash them !
Most of my lilies are grown in pots and this year was the first sighting of lily beetles, not many but enough to know they are there.
My Q is would it get rid of the larvea if the bulbs were lifted after flowering and die back, washed off compost and then repoted in fresh compost for next year?
So long as you are sure to replace all the compost (in which I believe they overwinter) I guess this may help to get rid of existing colony of beetles but would not prevent more beetles from floating in from elsewhere....and I don't think that lifting lilies every winter does them much good.....they seem to become more sturdy and established for being left alone. Unless you grow them in pots replacing ALL the compost would not be a very easy task!