Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Bulbs General => Topic started by: Roma on April 14, 2015, 03:55:44 PM
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I spotted the first lily beetle of the season on Friday and another one on Sunday but have not yet had time to check all the Lilium martagon ( seems like hundreds ) in the garden :( :(
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Crikey Roma, our L. martagon is scarecely 2inches tall yet. I shall have to go out and check tomorrow.
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Yuck, I googled it and i think I found two today while walking around my garden.
That bright red warned me and I killed them.
Hm...
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Crikey Roma, our L. martagon is scarecely 2inches tall yet. I shall have to go out and check tomorrow.
My Martagons vary from just showing to over a foot tall. Caught another two today.
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I'm on high alert, but last year I treated plants with Provado and fingers crossed....so far so good.
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I think the slugs have been at mine, couldn't find any scarlet beasties though. Phew ::)
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couldn't find any scarlet beasties though. Phew ::)
Plenty here, mostly in flagrante. Killed 8 in the last 2 days ::)
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I've not seen any yet thank goodness, my lilies and Frits are safe for the moment.
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Guess who forgot that Fritillaira is in the Liliaceae family. I did. The leaves have been devoured by the little $%^&s!
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Well it had to happen ::) Caught them at it yesterday so regularly pick and stamp sessions reintroduced >:(
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Well it had to happen ::) Cauhttp://www.srgc.net/forum/Smileys/classic/rolleyes.gifght them at it yesterday so regularly pick and stamp sessions reintroduced >:(
Ah, so that's what you're doing? :-\ I'd heard a rumour you are taking flamenco lessons..... ;)
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I'd heard a rumour you are taking flamenco lessons..... ;)
Not a pretty sight ;) but none today ;D
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Another two today. That's 7 now.
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Can they really do a lot of damage?
Where am I to look for them on the plants (lilies). Top, soil level, ...?
They are quite cute though...
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Hi fixpix wait till you see the damage they do to any lillies and fritillaria you have, personally I think the grubs are the worst, they cover themselves in there own excretment to avoid detection. Doesn't stop me though.
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Fixpix you will find them crawling over the leaves, particularly near the stem, mating under the leaves and little red spots indicate the eggs these turn, as John says, into little black lumps which are the grub covered in the excrement. Bad infestations really weaken the plants and look very unsightly.
To catch them you need to cup your hand underneath before you approach them as they will drop off onto their backs and be cleverly disguised against the soil!
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Got it, thanks. I will be looking around :)
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They are quite cute though...
Don't be deceived by their appearance and the cute sound they make when they're alarmed.
THEY ARE THE DEVIL'S SPAWN
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Unfortunately, the lily beetle was discovered in my area in Washington state a few years ago. Yesterday, for the first time, I found ones in my garden, which is full of fritillarias and species and hybrid lilies. The little devils are spreading at a pretty fast rate. There are some plans to release wasps that might slow down the progression. I'm hopeful but doubtful.
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From the RHS : RHS - Royal Horticultural Society added 3 new photos.
"Please share, be aware! Guard your lilies with your life, the little red beasties are waking from their winter slumber. Wiping off eggs and larvae with a tissue is a lot easier that catching the adults. Have you seen them? Report sightings and find out more about the beetles control and biology at https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=553 (https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=553)
- Becky, RHS Gardening Advice"
[attachimg=1]
Lily Beetle Eggs
[attachimg=2]
Lily Beetle Larva
[attachimg=3]
Lily Beetle
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Here is a link to an interesting look at lilies. The solution to getting rid of lily beetles, or at least controlling them, may lie unused in the fridge veg. drawer. Have a look at how to do it. It would be interesting to know if anyone has tried and been successful using this organic method.
The link does not seem to work directly- but if you access the BBC i-player then follow up to the great-british-garden-revival-series-2-8-lilies-and-woodland-gardens episode, it is still available.
bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b050gw2x/great-british-garden-revival-series-2-8-lilies-and-woodland-gardens
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Since the red lily beetle is new to my area, can someone tell me if there's a best time of day to hunt for them? Morning, evening, after dark? Wet or dry days?
Thanks!
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Hi Claire I've found them on my plants at various times during the day, useally during dry days. Hopes this helps.
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Hateful things, aren't they? I find they like warmth and sunshine, and are most visible and active in full daylight on sunny days. Be sure to check the undersides of leaves for the orange eggs. Despite the zone and climate here, I actually found one active on the soil surface on a warm day back in early March, in a spot where lilies grow, long before any emergence. And, of course, I'm finding them on the fritillaria, now that they are up.
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Thank you for your helpful tips. I went back to the three lily clumps where I found 6 beetles on Wednesday and carefully examined the leaf undersides. Of course, I found 4 different egg masses. These are busy little beasties!
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Here is a link to an interesting look at lilies. The solution to getting rid of them, or at least controlling them, may lie unused in the fridge veg. drawer. Have a look at how to do it. It would be interesting to know if anyone has tried and been successful using this organic method. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b050gw2x/great-british-garden-revival-series-2-8-lilies-and-woodland-gardens (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b050gw2x/great-british-garden-revival-series-2-8-lilies-and-woodland-gardens)
The link does not seem to work directly- but if you access the BBC i-player then follow up to the great-british-garden-revival-series-2-8-lilies-and-woodland-gardens episode, it is still available.
bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b050gw2x/great-british-garden-revival-series-2-8-lilies-and-woodland-gardens
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BBC iPlayer TV programmes are available to play in the UK only.
Can I beg the shortest of synopses from someone, please?
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BBC iPlayer TV programmes are available to play in the UK only.
Can I beg the shortest of synopses from someone, please?
Really not much more than has been said here, Rick, and in the RHS advice page : https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=553 (https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=553)
James Wong spoke of the idea that many people gave up growing lilies because of the predations of Lily Beetle but when he spoke to an RHS gardener he found that that chap was quite relaxed about the beetles really. He advised making regular searches for them to pick them off but felt that while the larvae would make a full meal of the plants if allowed, the plants could often survive and it was not somethin gthat should dissuade folks from growing these plants.
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Thanks, Maggi.
No beetles here, yet. (They are not found in my region.) But it's just a matter of time...
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We found our first one the other day , Rick - sadly it is not likely to be the last. :P
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Looook!
Horrible... But I am wondering if I had these in the past, as it's the first time I am LOOKING for them on lilies.
But I also found another bug. Really cute.
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That "cute bug" looks like a vine weevil with a camouflage jacket on ;D I would crush it if I came across it.
I haven't seen any lily beetles yet in my Dutch garden but maybe that's because the nights were reasonably cold for the last few weeks.
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I haven't seen any lily beetles yet in my Dutch garden but maybe that's because the nights were reasonably cold for the last few weeks.
I don't think that would make a difference, the first time I saw them was in February a few years back when they were crawling along the ground!
Sorry you seem to have quite a few Fixpix, be vigilant! I check every time I walk past.
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Wikipedia says they also attack
Convallaria majalis, Polygonatum, potato (Solanum tuberosum), flowering tobacco (Nicotiana), hollyhock (Alcea) and Hosta.
I wonder if I find then too late. I.e. after they are well established on other plants I have not noticed them on. My neighbour always gets them first on Frit. meleagris before we both start finding them on Lilies. I have some species lilies up to 3 feet high so far without any attack, but expect them later. Nothing on a number of Frit. persica or imperialis. We need some sticky boards similar to those used for moths in apple trees.
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BBC iPlayer TV programmes are available to play in the UK only.
Can I beg the shortest of synopses from someone, please?
Hi Rick,
James Wong gave an organic recipe for getting rid of Lily beetles and the larvae - "spray them with an organic mix made up of a cupful of liquidised or pulverised old garlic bulbs (a chemical is released in stronger amounts if the garlic is old) and fill up with water. Spray am and pm, under and over the leaves. It is apparently the larvae which do most damage although the beetles do eat the leaves too. Use the same solution to spray the stems to a height of at least 12" to deter slugs and snails too. I would be interested to know if it works.
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Found my first lily beetle, on a snakes head fritillary, soon stopped when I got hold of it.
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Found our first lily beetle in the screened coldframe filled with lily propagations. There was a small hole in the screen!
john
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Hope you put it to the sword so to speak john.
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Hope you put it to the sword so to speak john.
Perhaps to the toothpick, JohnStephen!!
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No swords or toothpicks here. It does however look much like a Jackson Pollack on the frame wall.
Same with root weevils, the crunch between fingers is just too exhilarating to miss.
Brian is spot on, lily beetles are thoroughly unaffected by cold, we've seen them under leaf littler in March 2014 when temps are dropping to below 0c at night.
johnw
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I have to admit I do squash the grubs between my fingers, considering what they cover themselves in its a bit :P, but it has to be done. The adults end up under my hobnail boot ;D
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Found a dozen today while weeding. They were in the process of making more of them. No longer!
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Good man, at least they died happy.
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Hello I've just been reading an old article in Horticulture week on the control of various beetles one being the lily beetle The link is http://www.hortweek.com/pest-disease-management-beetles/ornamentals/article/1135987 (http://www.hortweek.com/pest-disease-management-beetles/ornamentals/article/1135987) It lists the commercial control chemicals but cypermethrin is available in amateur products and has some residual effect when spraying as are some of the others. There is an HSE web search facility where you can put in the chemical active ingredient and it lists the amateur products that can be used in UK gardens https://secure.pesticides.gov.uk/garden/prodsearch.asp (https://secure.pesticides.gov.uk/garden/prodsearch.asp) The main reason for checking what else can be used for control is that most people are using provado and continued use may lead to a resistance to it. I generally use two or three insecticides in rotation to help avoid this. Another point is that Provado used for vine weevil etc will be withdrawn in the near future due to the thiacloprid content which is one of the neonicotoid insecticides (all be it not the worst one) which are being withdrawn or have been withdrawn due to a suspected link in the demise of the bee.
Alasdair
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Only been on the Fritillaria meleagris until today when they have started on some fine leaved hybrid Lilies. In the frits they seem to spend a lot of the time hiding in the arum and a dwarf alchemilla undergrowth but the lily is over 2 feet tall and they were on the top shredding the leaves. Ugh ;-(
Buckinghamshire
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Itching to get into the screened lily frame some found a small hole through which to enter. They were frantic. Subsequently hole sewn, bugs flattened.
johnw
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We have one of these http://www.lakeland.co.uk/20455/Spider-Catcher. (http://www.lakeland.co.uk/20455/Spider-Catcher.)
Seems to work well for lily beetles and I have a higher success rate at catching with it, so far.
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Did anyone else's lily beetles suddenly disappear in May? I was picking loads of them off until we had a couple of days of very unseasonable gales and cold weather in late May. I've not seen a lily beetle since. There has been food available - last year I almost threw away my Calochortus barbatus as I couldn't keep them away from it - this year it remains unblemished.
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I live down the road a few miles from Darren and mine disappeared about the same time. I put it down to the cold wet summer we have had. Not had a single butterfly this year.
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Most of the beetles disappeared from here too in May. Lots of butterflies about though.
Also less damage to the Lilies from molluscs this year too.
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Did anyone else's lily beetles suddenly disappear in May?
If only ;-( Still odd ones around and I was removing grubs last week.
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They're back here in numbers!
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Please don't send them back North ;)
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Too late..... I crushed two adults last week. :-\