Lily Beetles Early

[Tig]

Only found one tonight <wicked woman on a mission smiley>

Barbara, your ex-workmate needs to up her game!! Challenges are good - keeps you on your toes ;D x Tig

[Tig]

I thought I had done quite well this year picking off these little blighters, not seen a sign for weeks.

Spoke too soon, just spotted several blobs of 'bird poop' on some lilies at the back of a shady border - yuk!! Here it is in close up munching merrily away ..



Not any more! Got a pot of water and drowned all that I could find (about 15 of them), inspected the rest of my lilies and found two more beetles, 1 down, 1 did the dead drop and couldn't be found - I'll be back!!

If you are growing lilies it is worth having a check for eaten leaves, they soon decimate the entire plant if left

x Tig

[Tig]

Don't be complacent - if you have lilies continue to check for beetles and their grubs - look what I found today



And subsequently several grubs decimating the leaves on half a dozen lilies, and some just starting to change into beetles - they were the size of my little fingernail ...





All squashed now

x Tig

[Ladygardener]

Gross

[Ladygardener]

Have just been out to inspect my lillies but can't see any sign of them thankfully. Maybe all the rain we are having in belfast has drowned them all. ;D

[Tig]

I'm glad you haven't got them - sneaky little beggars they are - I will be checking mine on a daily basis for the next week, otherwise I will be overun with them next spring

[Barbara]

well done tig, on squishing them, i found some on tuesday, they are flat as well
i also found some on my liatris i hope they were just using them as a bridge.
LNG glad your not getting visits :)but we must be vigilent. ;D

[carolann]

I must have been very lucky this year as I have not seen one. All the Lillies have finished for this year, so stupid question now, do I still have to check all whats left? Do the beetles go into the bulbs till next year? I only ask this as you seem to be just seeing them up here.

[Tig]

No Carolann, not just seeing them, they have been here continuously since Spring

You need to keep checking, they will eat the leaves, lay their eggs on them and the grubs will munch it back to just a bare stem, fall in the soil and re-appear next spring!!! Any signs of dark brown bird-poo looking blobs under the leaves are grubs, they surround themselves with excrement and need to be removed (I use a stick and a piece of kitchen paper to sqash the messy little beggars )

x Tig

[carolann]

Thanks Tig I shall keep a watch out for the Poo Poo or any other signs.