General Chat

anyone noticed an increase in the population of Lily Beetles this year?

This blooming pest has never been in my garden before, and yet this last week I have found half a dozen of the blighters, chomping away at my Asiatics like little piggies!

I have sprayed the plants with the appropriate bug-killer, but wondered if anyone else has noticed this pest.

Jac

ive notice nothing is keeping the slugs away plant 6 lettuce last night with slug repellent ive got 3 lettuce left bet they have mutated and got secret wings lol

Lily beetles...........grrrrr...........I used to love growing Lilies ..........now they are covered in ugly beetle poo and being eaten faster than I can hunt the blighters down...........yes a big increase in my garden...........and hardly any Lilies left :(

They are truly disgusting Amanda, arent they? the beetle itself is rather smart, in it;s bright red coat and easy to spot, it's the buggers of grubs that sit in their own poo on the leaves that are revolting!!!

I think the RHS would appreciate notification of any sighting of Lily Beetles as they are doing some sort of research into how the beggers are migrating through the country. You can report sightings on line.

Puss - I grow Hostas, which slugs and snails love and this year I am quietly congratulating myself that I have only had about 6 or so leaves chewed by snails/slugs out of 30 or more large pots of Hostas - so I assume the dickie birds are doing their stuff and eating the culprits. If you feed the birds then they wont go looking for slugs!

Jac

Jac...........I grow Hostas as well......mine are doing well this year. The odd thing is that Hostas are one of the Lily family.........I wonder why those blasted beetles don't go after them?
I'll have a look on the RHS site.Thanks.

I've squished a few Lily beetles this year but haven't noticed more than the past few years.

Slugs and snails are bad this year for us.

I have trouble growing Solomon's Seal......sawfly larvae always seem to get them before I get round to spraying the plants.

Sue

Not seen any out here, but we get our fair share of nasties, mealy aphis being the worst. Hibiscus got a bad attack of black fly and before we could spray noticed they were being parasatised by encarsia formosa, so well pleased by that.
What is an indoor pest in the UK is an outdoor one here.
Keep squishing.

Rosalind

I have seen a couple and we have loads of lilies of various types so don't want them eaten.
Forgot about the RHS tracking them, will have to go to the site and advise.

Lizx

Morning Jac..we suffer with Lily Beetles every year mostly when the plants are young, i make it my first job in the mornings to pick the little blighters off, touch wood they are in full bloom how and havn't seen any for a couple of weeks.
I also grow Hostas and surprisingly no problem with slugs YET !!!!!

ive planted hostas too which i read on slug box that slugs love em, so ive worked out if i plant lettuce the rest of the garden get left alone lol

Jac - When listening to the gardening phone-in on my local radio station, the gardening expert said that the lily beetle was on the increase, and that within a few years, people would not be able to grow lillies in this country because of that reason. Just off out to kill some more.
Julia in Derbyshire

I'm really peed off with the little blighters - I really love lillies and only grow them in pots (and one pot has had the same lillies in it for about 10 years or so now - and is in full bloom looking lovely at the moment). Off out now for the morning beetle and slug patrol!

BTW - does anyone grow the Giant Himalayan Lily (dont know it's proper name)? I was given a plant recently, and did wonder if the Lily beetles came with the plant as I never had the Lily Beetle until this plant was introduced into the garden (it's also in a pot, and looking a bit yellow around the gills at the moment)?

Thanks for all your replies

Jac

I wonder if you mean a Canna Lily Jac ?

They get very big..........I don't grow them myself but a friend hadone and it burst its way out of the pot after a year or so..........lol

I filled in the Lily beetle thing on the RHS site.
I saw my first one here in Norfolk a couple of years ago. I didn't realise what it was and thought it looked rather nice , so left it alone, fool that I am.
I have more or less given up on lillies now as they just get ruined each year :(

Hi Amanda - no I dont think it's a Canna Lily - the leaves are more Hosta-shaped, quite broad and with prominent veins. It can make a really big clump when in the ground, but this is a baby, so I've put it in a pot for the time being. I'll have to look it up in my book!!

No beetles this morning thank the lord, and none of that sludge stuff either (mind you I did give the plants a right good dose of Bug Off!)

I'm tempted to scrape away the top two inches of compost from the pots to see if there is anything lurking, but really dont want to disturb the flower buds with are just about to burst - one a gorgeous cream, and the other a deep deep pink. The orange lillies have been in full flower for a few days and look lovely.

There is one thing about the little varmins, they are easy to spot (and apparently dont bite!!)

Jac

Just found this Amanda, if you are interested!

Common name: Giant Himalayan Lily, Giant lily
Botanical name: Cardiocrinum giganteum Family: Liliaceae (lily family)
Synonyms: Lilium giganteum

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Giant Himalayan lily occurs in the Himalayas and may reach a height of two-three metres with almost 20 cm long fragrant trumpet-shaped flowers and large heart shaped leaves. The middle flowers of the raceme open first. The buds have an upright position in the raceme while the flowers in the beginning are oriented perpendicular to the axis but later on become hanging. The white flowers (maroon interior markings) are beautiful and fragrant. After pollination the petals fall off and the swelling ovary lengthens and turns upright from its formerly pendant position. The flower stalks age beautifully in the fall and on a dry day, the seed pods split open and shimmering drifts of delicate seed float down to the ground.

Apparently it's suitable for a shady sheltered site in the garden and can grow like blazes!

Jac

Just had a look at them and they really are fantastic
but at £17.99 a bulb I'll have to give them a miss.....lol
I hope your Lily beetles leave your on alone Jac.

Amanda

hi every-one.
i bought some lillies last year (i never heard of lillie beetles before) then i started to notice these gorgeouse red things on my plant i let them live there at first until one day i thought i would read up on them now there out of bed and breakfast.

gwen x
,

They are lovely amanda arent they? but I wouldnt buy one because I really only want to grow lillies in pots, and they grow to enormous heights - lol Funnily enough I havent seen any sign of the beetles on the Himalayan Lily (but it does look a bit poorly).

Gwen - they are cute looking but oh so messy and destructive - stamp on them if you get a chance!

Jac

oh i pick them off and have a good look cant help wondering why they just sit there wanting to get caught though.its not as if they try to make a run for it.
then i reluctantly splat him/her.

gwen x