If you find one of these in your garden, especially on your lilies, don't panic. Oh go on then, panic. The lily beetle is not native to the UK or the USA, so yes you've guessed it, no natural predators. The birds won't eat them, they squeak when attacked, yes they do. Would you tuck into your dinner if it squeaked as your fork approached the plate ?
I first noticed these beetles earlier this year in the summer, sorry I mean March. The lilies were only just poking through the soil, so the beetles didn't have much to eat. Needless to say, I disposed of them, but now they're back again. And love is in the air:
As you can see, they had been nibbling the lily leaves before they got amorous. If I had left them, the female would have laid her eggs on the underside of the lily leaves. The resultant larvae cover themselves in their own excrement, so that they look like bird droppings. But you don't find bird droppings underneath leaves, unless the birds in your garden think they are Red Arrow pilots and like to do aerobatics. Come to think of it, but that's another story.
So how do you control them? In parts of Europe, the beetle is kept under control by parasitic wasps, but in the UK only two species of these wasps have been discovered, and certainly not in sufficient numbers to have any effect. So at the moment, the solution is to pick them off the plants and destroy them. The adults are easy to see, although a little tough to squash, they have harder shells than vine weevils. Look under the leaves for larvae and eggs, and remove them also. And if all else fails, don't grow lilies or fritillarias.
On a happier note, the blue tits did manage to evict the bee from their nestbox. They are very discreetly coming in and out of the box. Looks like the eggs have been laid, but no activity yet to suggest any have hatched yet.
And the final April rainfall figures for Sheffield have just been announced. We had 177mm, that's just a smidgen under 7 inches in real money. Wonder what May will have in store for us.
No welcome for those garden visitors. I haven't seen them here, but will keep a look out.
ReplyDeleteLilies don't survive our summers, but there are a number of plants in the lily family around here.
Apparently they do attack other members of the lily family. The adults occasionally feed on Solomon's Seal and Lily-Of-The-Valley as well.
DeleteIn Michigan we have the Colorado potato beetle, which does the same thing to squash, tomato, and potato plants as the red beetle you described here. One solution you may want to try is to mix one part baby part with one part flour and sprinkle it on your plants (when it isn't raining). The beetles eat the mixture and it dries out their insides, thus no more beetles. We put up a purple martin bird house and some sparrow moved in. They are pretty mean birds and won't let the purple martins into the house so the purple martins are in the garage. We put up the martin house to avoid this scenario.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we should put sign posts up so they know which home is for whom. But then again they'd pretend they couldn't read and just ignore them.
DeleteI had trouble with lily beetles last year - they make such a mess of the plants don't they. My lilies are only just emerging will have to go and check the situation.
ReplyDeleteI'm keeping an eye out for them all the time now. Not found any today.
DeleteHi Crystal,
ReplyDeleteI have lily beetles in the garden.....unlike most, I just leave them because I am a wimp. I just cannot bear to squidge anything.....yes I know, I know, I am but a fool. I have removed most of my lillies, just left the odd favourite.
Life is a journey with a garden, we all make our own choices :)
Raining here, yet again. Water companies are taking rain from the river Medway to fill local reservoirs......
I know what you mean, but I have a lot of lilies, so I have no choice but to fight back.
DeleteI've seen these mentioned on blogs in the past and read how very destructive they can be. I read they can destroy plants in days! I hope you manage to win the battle.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed for the Blue Tits :-)
First round to me, but they may just be hiding in the neighbouring gardens. The blue tits have been very active today, think the eggs are hatching.
DeleteI gave up on lilies a few years ago because of these nasty little pests. At least they're easy enough to spot.
ReplyDeleteIf the weather in Sheffield is as bad as it's been in Norfolk today, you will already have beaten April's rainfall figures. Here's to a sunny Bank Holiday!
Not had much rain this month but that's about to change apparently.
DeletePah! I left a garden last week with a lily beetle attatched to my leg and an earwig (shudder!)on my arm yesterday. I'm probably responsible for moving these critters from garden to garden. Not very good at squishing hard-shelled bugs, a job my son enjoys though. I too have a lily poking thru'...off to check! thanks for the reminder x
ReplyDeleteOoh, that sounded like a horror movie. I hate earwigs more than lily beetles.
DeleteI've never seen those red beetles. If they attack my fritallia persica, I'll find a way to crush those hard shells.
ReplyDeleteIf you find any, put them onto a paving stone and stamp on them hard. Sounds violent, I know, but it works.
Delete