Lily Beetle 2015

[Brian Ellis]

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!

[fixpix]

Got it, thanks. I will be looking around

[reifuan]

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

[Claire Cockcroft]

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.

[Maggi Young]

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
- Becky, RHS Gardening Advice"


Lily Beetle Eggs


Lily Beetle Larva


Lily Beetle

[latestart]

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

[Claire Cockcroft]

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!

[johnstephen29]

Hi Claire I've found them on my plants at various times during the day, useally during dry days. Hopes this helps.

[Lori S.]

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.

[Claire Cockcroft]

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!

[latestart]

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

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

[Rick R.]

BBC iPlayer TV programmes are available to play in the UK only.

Can I beg the shortest of synopses from someone, please?

[Maggi Young]

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

 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. 

[Rick R.]

Thanks, Maggi.

No beetles here, yet.  (They are not found in my region.)  But it's just a matter of time...

[Maggi Young]

We found our first one the other day , Rick - sadly it is not likely  to be the last.