Allotments 4 All

Found my first ever lily beetle today. Got rid of it too. Must say they are very pretty

I found 2 a couple of weeks ago, swiftly dispatched!! Haven't seen any more since (yet) I agree they are pretty

I've just killed 4...they're hard to squash and they sort of scream which apparently alerts the rest to drop to the ground...but I took the one I was killing further away and the other's were still there waiting to be squashed.

I've hardly got any fritillarias left because of them.

There larvae are not a pretty site as they 'pooh' all over themselves.

Anyone got a picture of these beetles?
My wife's lilies have been eaten away by a little red beetle at a rather fast rate. They like the leaves and the flower petals. They also leave what looks like dollops of pooh but this may be the larvea. Haven't got a picture yet but if I see one I will.

"Little red beetle" fits the lily beetle.

http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=Lily+beetle&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2

Thanks for the quick response. Thought it might be from the apt description of the larvea. Any ideas on a permanent solution?

Be diligent and squish them at every opportunity.  Last year I had a very bad infestation on a couple of plants & I went down the garden with a bucket of soapy water & a Marigold on one hand.  I used the soapy water to wash the larvae off into the bucket & clean the poo, then tipped the water over the drive & the blackbirds had a field day picking out the freshly washed bugs.

This year there don't seem to be so many.  Not sure if that's weather conditions or the fact that my neighbour & I are constantly on guard against any more arriving.

There may be other routes, but I do the organic thing wherever possible.

Cheers

Squashing is best.

This year I realised that after I had killed 5 beeetles that no more appeared despite having 12 pots of lilies.

I think it is important to kill the first ones that appear as they will mate and produce the numbers that really do the damage.

I am still looking - just in case.

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments1_homepage.html

OH has been was an obsessive squisher at the beginning of the season (lilies are her favourites) and have to say haven't seen any for a while

Quote from: Barnowl on June 25, 2008, 17:42:39
OH has been was an obsessive squisher at the beginning of the season (lilies are her favourites) and have to say haven't seen any for a while

Nor had I until today when I found three!   :o  I'm a bit surprised to see them around this late in the season. 

G x

I found one on my Water Cress yesterday...................its now in Lily Beetle heaven 8) 8)

Quote from: star on September 20, 2008, 21:39:16
I found one on my Water Cress yesterday...................its now in Lily Beetle heaven 8) 8)

Best place for it I reckon.   ;)

G x