Tag Archives: red lily beetle

Stopping Lily Beetle

Stopping Lily Beetle

How to stop lily beetle, red lily beetle, what’s eating my lillies, kill lily beetle, eradicate lily beetle, stopping lily beetle, red lily beetle,lily beetle garlic spray, lily beetle UK.

At this time of the season, whenever that is in the year, two particular subjects dominate my garden. One is day lillies and the need for constant dead heading. The other is lily beetle. The two jobs can be connected, but don’t offer the same enjoyment.

Dead heading the Hemerocallis rewards  you with more flowers. It’s also a chance to be in the border again. In the morning this is with a good cup of tea in hand, but in the evening it may well be a crisp white or rose.

Whilst surveying the decaying day lily blooms I keep an eye out for the little red monsters that can shred your lillies in a moment. Red lily beetle don’t touch day lillies, just the true lily family,  LiliumCardiocrinum and Fritillaria.

Stopping lily beetle
Red lily beetle are black underneath, so when they fall to the ground are very hard to see.

Since discovering that these apparently delicate plants were quite hardy I’ve planted many more, and with  them comes the invading red bugs. the result is worth the effort though.

What happens if you don’t stop red lily beetle?

These pests are attracted to the smell of the lillies. When they find them they quickly reproduce and leave hundreds of offspring that will eat the leaves and stem.  This may actually stop the plant flowing. So keeping them off is justified.

Stopping lily beetle
They have to be worth protecting from red lily beetle!

I employ two strategies in stopping lily beetle. One is to stop them finding the plant to start with, and second to kill them if they do find it. To mask the scent of the plant I use blended garlic filtered into a spray bottle. I mix in some washing up liquid to make it foam and stick to the leaves for longer. You must continue  to apply it fairly regularly though.

To make it use a couple of cloves crushed or finely chopped, leave to diffuse in boiling water for five minutes, then filter ( the pulp will block the sprayer) into a spray bottle. Add washing up liquid, then top up with water. Keep te pulp in a sealed jar to use next time, you’ll get four or five uses from one pulp.

And when I spot the red devils I use two hands to pick them off. One hand is beneath them, as they have a habit of just letting go of the leaf and falling to the ground where they’re hard to spot. The other can pick them off. Dispose of them with a foot on a hard surface.

The garlic spray needs to get to as much of the leaf surface as possible, including underneath. Here you may see the nasty clutches of eggs laid in excrement.  Remove these as well to prevent rapid re-infection.

I am always looking for other ways to enhance my protection of the lily plants with something sprayable and sticky, and equally pungent so the bugs can’t find the host.

How to stop lily beetle, red lily beetle, what’s eating my lillies, kill lily beetle, eradicate lily beetle, stopping lily beetle, red lily beetle,lily beetle garlic spray, lily beetle UK. Local gardener in Bourne End, Flackwell Heath gardener, Taplow gardener.