Lilly Beetle

[chasw]

Well today,Jan (the wife)had the pleasure of squashing our first beetle spotted in the garden this year..........................no doubt more to follow

Has anyone found a spray that is effective ?

[Diane Clement]

Well today,Jan (the wife)had the pleasure of squashing our first beetle spotted in the garden this year..........................no doubt more to follow

Has anyone found a spray that is effective ? 

Provado seems pretty effective, I tend to go round on a monthly basis and spray all likely targets - lilies, nomocharis and frits.  I squashed my first two a couple of weeks ago, oddly they were on a rhododendron  .  I think they'd got lost.

[Graham Catlow]

I also use Provado. They first appeared here in 2009 and I started to use Provado that year along with a very intensive, (almost daily), search for the disgusting larvae. They weren't a serious problem and I only have a few lilies. They were still present in 2010 so I continued the regime. None appeared in 2011. I hope I'm not tempting fate and hope that I have managed to eradicate them. I will spray again this year and keep an eye out over the next couple of months.
I know the are present this far north but I think they may have arrived on bulbs bought from Cornwall in 2008.

[Armin]

Provado = Imidacloprid...

Imidacloprid is considered to be a main reason for the collapse of bee hives.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imidacloprid
http://www.panna.org/blog/almond-joy-victory-bees

Would not use it anymore proactively...

Alternatively: in the evening spray infested lilies (bedraggled) with a blend of water, soft soap and denaturated alcohol (15 ml soft soap, 10 ml denaturated alcohol, 1000 ml water). Repeat a week later.

[brianw]

I have not seen any so far this year, November 2011 was the last. I agree Provado works well but in view of the bee damage I will now restrict using it to under glass where possible. The adults show up so well in the garden, in spring mainly on Fritillaries for me, that picking them off and squashing is fine. The frass covered juveniles are a bit messy but easily removed later. Cardiocrinum is quite a magnet for them too. I find holding something under them when trying to pick them off catches the "droppers" as they try to escape. They rarely seem to fly away.

[bulborum]

I use a treatment against the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata)
also known as the Colorado beetle, the ten-striped spearman, the ten-lined potato beetle or the potato bug named cypermethrin
of-course I don't pray in the flowers

It works perfect in the time I do plant-shows
for the rest of the time I kill them in the early morning
just under my finger and a hard object

Roland

[Graham Catlow]

I wasn't aware of the effects of Provado on bees so will cease using it and just monitor the lily leaves for the larvae.

[Lesley Cox]

I don't think we have lily beetle in NZ for which I'm grateful. Graham you mention the "disgusting" larvae. What are they like?

[Graham Catlow]

Lesley the larvae cover themselves in their own sticky, mud-like excrement as a very effective defense against attack from predators. I supose the larvae are not so disgusting but their habit is. It does make them easy to detect though.

[bulborum]

Here some pictures Ina

Roland

[Jonny_SE]

Well today,Jan (the wife)had the pleasure of squashing our first beetle spotted in the garden this year..........................no doubt more to follow

Has anyone found a spray that is effective ?

Here in Sweden this works very good on lilly beetle's http://www.bayergarden.se/sv/produkter/skadedjur/Myrr_D.html   i guess it must be possibile to get in other countries aswell.....Jonny

[Lesley Cox]

Thank you Graham and Roland. I see what you mean, really horrid.

[Carlo]

We had our first Lily Beetle of the year at the Royal Botanical Gardens this week. Found it on an emerging plant the deer decapitated! Two pests on plant--it's a miracle the things survive. That said, Cardiocrinum giganteum in the same bed are thus far unaffected by either.

[johnw]

We had our first Lily Beetle of the year at the Royal Botanical Gardens this week. Found it on an emerging plant the deer decapitated! Two pests on plant--it's a miracle the things survive. That said, Cardiocrinum giganteum in the same bed are thus far unaffected by either.

Carlo

What rotten insects they are!  They mow down the martgons & its hybrids, one wonders what they will do to the native canadenses that are not at all plentiful here.  Which Cardios do you grow? I'm a bit surprised they can take the heat. Do the lily beetles usually go after the Cardiocrinums?  They certainly have an appetite for them here and one can spend a day picking them at a friends, and she does.  

Sadly deer were introduced here in the late 1800's and the numbers are extraordinary; only a matter of time until there is a disease outbreak.

johnw

[Carlo]

Not sure if the beetles will go for the Cardiocrinums...I sure hope not, but I wouldn't be surprised.