Lily beetle already!

Last post 03-07-2009 6:32 PM by bigsusan55. 53 replies.

• 24/04/2009 01:00 AM	In reply to
  Hellebore Location: Surrey Joined on: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 35	Reply | Contact So far this year I have killed 5 lily beetles on lilies, then yesterday I found one on a hebe and one on a buddleia for heavens sake!! Didn't hear any screams or clicks though, but maybe my ears are still blocked from virus!

• 24/04/2009 09:10 AM	In reply to
  bogweevil Location: Joined on: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 2,766	Reply | Contact They caught me by surprise, but as the sprayer was already filled with insecticide to polish off the pieris lace bugs, rose aphids, currant blister aphids and greenfly on the vegetable transplants treating a few more plants was no big deal.   Boggy Beware the bat-eared bogweevil

• 24/04/2009 05:06 PM	In reply to
  headfullofbees Location: Cheadle Hulme Joined on: 13 Feb 2006 Posts: 316	Reply | Contact Sprayed lillies a few weeks ago when I noticed a few.

• 01/07/2009 06:29 PM

  In reply to

  Mississippi-Sheik Location: Ipswich Joined on: 01 Jul 2009 Posts: 2

  Reply | Contact Only have a few lillies, but this year a plant bought in February from reputable local nursery has been massacred by the blighters. Noticed one beetle a couple of weeks ago and destroyed that. A week later and its covered in bugs and adult beetles (didn't know what the bugs were this time last week). Now hopefully all have been despatched with a late night soaking of Wilkinsons bug spray (a lot cheaper than the others and apparantly it works well). If all else fails and you are looking for a job Sue!

• 01/07/2009 06:35 PM	In reply to
  Celtic Heart Location: Wales Joined on: 03 Jun 2009 Posts: 63	Reply | Contact I have signs of lily beetle damage (holes in centre of leave, right?) but no sign of them anywhere and don't know of anyone in my area with them.  Isn't the best way to dispose of them to toss them over the wall to the neighbour's garden when their lilies are looking better than yours? One is nearer God's heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth.

• 01/07/2009 06:39 PM

  In reply to

  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 5,230

  Reply | Contact You have to slaughter them mercilessly, they are in your Wales area, count the blighters as you catch them and then fill in a report form for the rhs pest department, it's very important to count them and tell the rhs when and where you caught them,but you have to kill them, they are a non native invasive species, last year i had 26 of the blighters up in Lancashire! digger Sage of the fells

• 01/07/2009 06:46 PM	In reply to
  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 9,474	Reply | Contact I've had 4 of them this year that I've squashed.  The ones here tend to eat holes in the sides of the leaves rather than the centre Celtic Heart. sue1002

• 01/07/2009 10:09 PM	In reply to
  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 5,230	Reply | Contact Yes my beetles ate the edges of the leaves and I caught one on a fritllary this time. digger Sage of the fells

• 03/07/2009 06:32 PM

  In reply to

  bigsusan55 Location: North-West London Joined on: 14 May 2009 Posts: 144

  Reply | Contact Well, round here we get so many that I don't count - just pick and squash, pick and squash, pick and squash.  It's sufficiently bad that the neighbours ask me to go in and kill the bas****s when they are away overnight!  Bonus points when you catch two in flagrante!   I do grow a lot of lilies in pots as they just fade away if I put them directly into the heavy clay soil, so probably attract them.  But the problem has been much worse since DIY garden centres started selling them so cheaply. We've also got rosemary beetle now - very pretty little thing, maroon and green.  They look like they would make lovely earrings.  But they have made an awful mess of my rosemary and sage.