I was just sitting here thinking. I have only killed 3 of the Red Asiatic/Oriental Lily beetles so far this year.
Last year I remember my plants had tons of them and I was always stripping leaves to rid the plant of the Beetles and beetle poop.
Has anyone had problems with these beetles this year or have you also noticed a decline in the population like Maine? (at least my garden in Maine *lol*).
Believe me, I am not complaining as these beetles have actually made people give up growing Asiatic and Oriental Lilies which is very sad :(
Here is a link to what they look like:
http://www.hillgardens.com/asianlilybeetles.htm
I never used the insecticides they recommend, I hand picked and killed them last year so I'm grateful there has only been 3 this year so far :)
Kim
Great Year (so far) for Red Lily Beetle
Kim, I hope you are right, but here they just seemed late in arriving. Such a strange year. (We wen't don into the 40s the last 2 nights and that is near the sound.)
It has been a very cold June here in Maine too. I was in a sweatshirt and jeans last night as I had goosebumps! I'm thinking our real summer is going to be August/September *lol*
Kim
Edited to correct spelling: Too early in the AM, not enough java :)
This message was edited Jun 24, 2007 7:12 AM
I started finding them in May coming out of the ground about the same time as the lilies were. I sprayed the Bayer product that Mainiac suggested and have done so about every 3-4 weeks since, I have had very little problems with them since. I have approx, 30 different named lilies and some I paid good money for the bulbs.......i'll be darn if some red beetle eats them!!
These are just the ones I planted last fall:
Purple Sensation
Brasilia
Salmon Star
Granny
Traveler
San Souci
Space Mountain
Desert Flower
Lavender Gem
Naomi
Tropical Isle
Dream Catcher
Harbor Star
Rose Sonnet
Princess Melissa
Conca d' Or
Lilium Uchida
Albany
Luxor
Oriental Mix 10
Strawberry Shortcake
I have to protect them if I intend to ever see them bloom!!
WOW, I don't have that many and mine are not named but I love them too and refuse to let some little red creature eat them to stubs! I will defend them but not with any kind of insecticide as I am on a well and don't want my kids turning blue *lol*
Kim
I have a well too but it is a long way from where these are planted.
It is the only chemical I use, broke down last year after I had nothing but stems left on my lilies for the last 2 summers.
I have besides the others above:
Shocking
Cran Cru
Nerone
Boogie Woogie
Muscadet
Centerfold
Landini
Black beauty
Scheherazade
Rosy Dawn
Mojave
Triumphtor
Elegant Lady
Tom Pounce
Siberia
Star Fighter
Star gazer
Arabian red
Dizzy
Pink Pixie
Dot Com
Buff Pixie
Pink Pixie
Sea Treasure
Angelique
OK........I have more like 45-50 different one I guess!
WOW, I just realized that I am such a NOID girl it isn't funny.
My garden is just filled with NOID's
I just realized too that my garden must be tiny *lol* because there is no way that I could fit all of those into my yard..........I must make more gardens *lol*
Kim
Yup....thats the solution!!! More flower beds!!
I spayed too and the miserable beetles seem to be gone. They may come out again if we ever get some heat.The rain and cool weather has been good for many plants.I haven't seen sign of a slug. this year.
I hope I wiped themout Last year. JOY
I really haven't had alot of problems with slugs over the years, just those darn red lily beetles! And ants.....some years it's just terrible!!
I have had some red beetles this year but not as bad as usual. I usually check the plants every day but one cluster has been overlooked, the beetles ate them right up.
I picked up another Asiatic Lily at the Round Up today. It's clean and I will keep it that way. Hopefully, lol.
Here are my Lollipops a few days ago.
Andy P
Hi Kim!
We live in Saco and this year we have had NO RED LILY BEETLE!!!!! Two years ago my lilies were stripped of leaves and totally a disaster and poop everywhere. Disgusting. They were very prolific!. Because I so love lilies, the next year I broke down and applied the systemic Bayer product on just my lilies when I saw the red beetles appearing in the spring. If I hadn't, they would have been stripped again. This year though, It is July 13 and I have checked every day twice a day and no lily beetle!!!!! My lilies are gorgeous.
Pixie - you sure have quite a few lilies. I bet they are gorgeous. I can't believe my lilies look so healthy and strong this year. Maybe because Kims and I live closer to the ocean that has something to do with it?? Beats me but I'll take a beetle-free summer again next year please. I am ordering many more lilies from buggycrazy this fall. I am on a roll. I will try to post some pics from my garden when I figure out how to do it. LOL.
Gee - I haven't seen those beetles - they're actually kind of pretty - well, unless you have lots of lilies. Seeing as I planted a bunch last year, I will definitely be on the look-out.
I think they have all moved into my yard. They are really hurting my lilies. Thanks for the information on a chemical that might help.
Been a good year for me also. I had some in May but was good about picking them off and squishing any eggs. I haven't seen any for awhile. Of course I don't have as many as Pixie, so it was managable. I hope they continue to decline!
Please explain what the eggs look like.
Still good reports here....NO red Lily Beetles after the original 4 or 5 :)
SO Thankful for that :)
Have a few Japanese Beetles that I kill every day but not alot of those either. I think alot of that is because of our pet skunk that eats all the grubs out of our lawn of weeds for us :)
Japanese beetles are actually grubs in your lawn before they ever become beetles.
dlefferts, if you had Red Lily Beetle you would DEFINITELY know. The eggs are smothered in poop under the lily leaf. The beetles poop on their eggs so that predators leave them alone. I usually just remove all affected leaves and smash them in the road with my foot. I really can't use any insecticides as we are on a well and I try to be VERY careful with what I use. I am the insecticide of choice *lol*
Kim
Actually yes! I have pulled out all the lilies that were here when we moved in cause in the first two year we were here these litle red bugs appeared and ate all the lilies! I can't stand anything that takes a lot of upkeep and I hated going out and killing those #$#$#@ red bugs every night so I pulled them all out! I wish I hadn't cause they were so pretty but to me they weren't worth the trouble!
My mom later told me to cover them with bulb dust and that would keep them at bay...however it was too late then :(