Topic: Rosemary Beetle

[Charlotte Sometimes]

Oh, a *new* problem!  As if there weren't enough trying to garden organically!

In my quest to learn more about aphids, ants and ladybirds, I discovered what the little fellas who are living in my rosemary are.  No prizes for guessing the name - "Rosemary" Beetle, LOL.  ::) :P

The look a bit like ladybirds, only black with gold stripes.  So, if your rosemary doesn't flower for very long, look out for these critters. My rosemary hedge, btw, is doing OK apart from not flowering.  The only control at the moment is insecticide (no known predators).  So I guess I'd better get to like them.  :-\  They're metallic and quite pretty, the little sods.

Apparently this problem has arrived with imported rosemary from the continent.  It is London/SE England which are currently affected, but of course it is spreading.  :(

More on this linke:
http://www.essexfieldclub.org.uk/rosemary_beetle_survey.htm

[beejay]

Yes, I've seen a couple of large rosemary bushes pretty well populated with these & thought that I must look them uo. I thought they probably were called Rosemary beetle, what else, but didn't know if they caused any damage.

[Charlotte Sometimes]

Ah, your profile says you're in London too, Beejay.  I suppose it is quite common here then!

[beejay]

Yep, meant to say so on the message. I've just been reading the Rhs blurb about it. I guess it will be a bit like the lily beetle, seeing how far it has got each year. I must go & check my own rosemary, they hopefully wont be interested in a small prostrate one. I see they like lavender & thyme also! It's just more things to look out for.

[Charlotte Sometimes]

So far, they are ignoring my lavender, and I have some prostrate rosemary too (also ignored).  I am thinking of picking off as many by hand as I can, but theres so many I think it might be pi**ing in the wind, as they say!

[beejay]

Just occurred to me, apparently they are not active during the summer months, what if you put a sheet or some such under the bushes & banged them a bit do you think the beetles would fall off onto the sheet so you could collect them up & dispose of in whatever way you please?

[Charlotte Sometimes]

They're not very good at gripping onto the rosemary, so you're right.  They are very easy to knock off and don't seem to be very active critters.  I am going to read a bit more about them, and see if they bury the larvae in the ground.  In which case a plastic mulch might help. 

[beejay]

Just found one on my lavender now!

[daveandtara]

these little devils also murdered my mallow tree when they had stripped my rosemary bush!! apparently their larvae can also be knocked from the bush onto a dust sheet and disposed of and this is the reccomended method as they are quite resistant to all but the strongest insecticides.
when you catch them and look closely they appear not black and gold but green and dark red which is kinda cool!

[Charlotte Sometimes]

D & T - are you in London, too?

Sorry about your mallow.  :'(

I was annoyed about this because rosemary / lavender used to be one of those trouble-free things that you could depend on.  What a nuisance.  How annoying they seem to be able to adapt to whatever they fancy eating. Grr! 

[organicartist]

my young son is obsessed with beetles, and discovered rosemary beetles in Turkey last year on a friend's plants. Collecting them and admiring their pretty stripy bodies kept him amused for ages! He's probably the only person who'll be thrilled to know that they're over here now. His collection of them seemed to clear my friend's plants, so maybe its worth trying to convince a convenient small child to collect them for you?