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My gorgeous scented lilies (in a pot) are infested with something. It's eating the leaves and the flowers. Looks like small bits of mud, obviously much more lethal. Any ideas what is/what to do? thanks CLx

I have this too, on my outside lilies in a pot.
I took a pic but it's on my camera at home â€" will try and remember to post tomorrow.
the little bits of mud are a cover for a caterpillar (of the lily beetle? do caterpillars turn into beetles?!?)
and I think it's not mud but caterpillar poo :P

I guess the obvious thing to do is to pick off the caterpillars and squish them/relocate them!
does that help at all?!?

don't know what it is but someone here will ;D

The lily beetle is a big culprit but you would know if you had that, it is a bright red beetle seen crawling across foliage etc. If seen take them off and crush!  >:( We've had quite a few and they have stripped several of my lilies.

YUK! Yep, reckon that's the culprit. Haven't seen the red beetles but this looks familiar........Thanks guys, when the rain stops will initiate a serious 'clean up' operation! CLx

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0500/beetle.asp

Managed to stagger out into the garden between downpours and had a quick peep at some lilies, looking very sad and chomped to death so I turned some leaves over and found one of the little blighters!! Didn't get him unfortunately, he fell off the plant before I could squash him and I couldn't find him....I'll be back!  >:(

Just did exactly the same....but no sign of the beetles....harrumph!!! >:(

It's their poo-coated offspring that are the most destructive. First time most people (well, me anyway) find the parents, they think "ohh, nice red beetle"... until the pookids appear.

here's that pic I took of a pookid (LOL@OllieC â€" that name's going to stick!!!)

UUUrgggghhhh!!!!! That looks foul! I hadn't realised that they started like that!  :o

Have been scraping the horrors off with sharp stone - they really are the worst thing I think I have ever had to deal with !!! YEEUUUUUCK!!!!

Gardeners question time had a good tip for catching the beetles.

Put a sheet under the lily on a sunny day and shake the plant, the beetles will drop off and you will be able to see them.

Usually when they drop off they turn over and show their underside which is hard to see on the soil.

As for the pookids, scrape them off and squish or put on the bird table.

I have another very successful method - works for adults & kids. Pint glass, filled to near the top with water & fairy liquid. An old toothbrush (or one belonging to someone you don't like!).

Hold the glass under the adults or grubs whilst scraping off with toothbrush. They either land in it, or stick to the brush, in which case they come off when you stir the brush in the water.

The fairy reduces surface tension, so they don't float.

Can I just say that this thread has been brilliant, and very informative.

We had these,  and lost all our foilage to these critters.
Seen the pookids :-)

and now know the trick with the fairy and toothbrush. ( surface tension )

Classic.

Riffster