Lily Beetle

[derekb]

Found the first RED DEVIL to day on a Frit leaf in Alpine House.

Derek

[Maggi Young]

My condolences, Derek, best of luck in the battle to come.  

[Blue-bellied Frog]

Maybe I found a solution.

I have an Asiatic lily in a flower bed and he had never been attack by the Lily beatle.
After 6 summer and 4 winter, I think it is a record.
And I did not win the fight with that beatle on the L tigrinum in an other flower bed.

Last week I saw Thyme around that Lily. I think it is T serpyllum ,but I'm not sure.

Bernard Morin

[Maggi Young]

Bernard, I believe yours is a useful observation. It is said that Thyme can be a preventative for attack by pests for various crops..... because of the scent of essential olis, so this may be a good companion planting to try round precious lilies.  

[Blue-bellied Frog]

I hope so, Maggi.
I will try around my L tigrinum, and if the beatles move, I will come back to lilies gardening.

[derekb]

Maggi not sure if this is the answer or luck but after posting the first post I watered all lillies with Provado vine weevil killer and have not seen any more.

Derek

[Maggi Young]

That is good news, Derek, hope it lasts  They may be teasing you, the evil little devils!!

It would be more environmentally friendly to be able to utilise pretty companion plants as a deterrent, though and I think it is worth a try.

[Brian Ellis]

I hope it lasts too Derek, I did this last year and had to repeat three times during the year.  This year I have had far fewer and have been able to just pick the blighters off.  Be vigilant, but hopefully you have solved the problem.

[arisaema]

Unfortunately it seems they feed on non-bulbous Liliaceae as well, I've found them munching on both Smilacina stellata and Streptopus lanceolatus v. roseus

[Lori S.]

They are also said to favour fritillaria.  They are on the move northward and westward in North America - I'd never seen one before this year, but have found (and squashed!) 4 this year.

[PDJ]

Hello Derek

For 2 years I had a serious problem with lily beetle.  Sometimes my lilies took on the look of holly in berry.  A nursery man told me to use Provado Ultimate Bug Killer Concentrate in a blue container.  After the first spray nothing seemed to have changed untill I touched the liliies and the beetles all fell away legs in the air.  Since then if I see one I just apply a preventative spray and that cures the problem.

[partisangardener]

I had used scent oils (one drop of lavendula oil and one of Japanese mint oil in half a litre water, I will look for thyme this coming year)
I sprayed twice a week on the green buds from May to June, against the lily flie. It seemed to have effect on the beetle population too. There were only very few beetles this year. I don't remember when they did appear. 2010  I will spray throughout the growing season and keep record about any damage on my lilies.
Usually there are a lot to kill every year, especially larvae.

[Lesley Cox]

Hello Derek

For 2 years I had a serious problem with lily beetle.  Sometimes my lilies took on the look of holly in berry.  A nursery man told me to use Provado Ultimate Bug Killer Concentrate in a blue container.  After the first spray nothing seemed to have changed untill I touched the liliies and the beetles all fell away legs in the air.  Since then if I see one I just apply a preventative spray and that cures the problem.

It sounds like the answer to every woman's prayer.

[Ray]

I don't know this Lily beetle(maybe thats a good thing)although i at times I get flowers that are misformed I have not seen any red beetles.Do they only live in the north or do we also have them in the south any body know.bye Ray

[rob krejzl]

Ray,

Northern hemisphere only, thank god. Used to plague my lily beds when I was in the UK. Active early in the season, and surprisingly good cryptic behaviour - disturb the foliage and they're down on the ground with only their dark bellies showing. I admired them even as I killed them.