Claire,
From what I have read on line and in newspapers about the red lily leaf beatle, my infestation is going to be the norm all over. This monster of an insect has no natural preditors in this country. They believe it hitched a ride across the Atlantic from Europe, no doupt England. Over there, there are natural insect preditors that keep the beetle in check with minimal damage to the lilies.
There has been some lab research with the natural preditor imported from England. In the lab the beetle is kept in check with it's preditor. Problem is, it's not known what will happen if this new insect is release into the environment to go after the beatle. so many questions to answer first and no doupt there will never be any answers to them. things like where to set them out to attack. Parts of my town are mass infected, like mine, but you can go 5 miles away in town and there is no problem. what happens if these new insects do their thing and the beetle problem is gone. What will they do then, these new insects.
Scarry questions and sure don't want to see new problems added to the environment.
Better to live without the lilies than to create new problems.

Fran

If your area lets the lilies get killed, the beetle population will vanish -- nothing to eat. Perhaps if you can wait a few years (to be sure all's clear) you can put in a few lilies once more.
I keep just a handful of them all planted in one place. It lets me monitor and squish beetles without a lot of work. I may get some munched leaves, but the lilies still bloom and do nicely.

after reading this thread the last few days, i decided to go check out the (very few) lilies in my yard..... sure enuf i found two of them near or on my white lilies, which are barely 4" out of the ground. they had definitely been doing a little munching already.

i eradictaed them but i am sure more will be along to take their place!

boy the gnats are really swarming too.... made it tough to get anything done out there today.

I hate these red devils!!! Found 10 on 'Casa Blaca'., so far that's the only place I have seen them. Almost missed them all except one was out in the open and made me check for more. They were all way down where the new leaves are coming out, between the stem and the leaves. No sign of little red dots but two where making babies, at least they died happy on the squishing rock.

They've been out for a couple of weeks here in Haverhill. I've been squishing when ever the weather is warm enough for them to be active. They have not really bothered some asiatics I have, they do however go crazy for an unknown that was a free gift from a mail order! I have been hand picking, squishing eggs, larvae, and adults 2 seasons now. I can say I am no longer an organic gardener! I tried neem this year, the damn things keep showing up. On to stronger stuff now. Just scared for my herbs and Passiflora incarnata (I eat the fruit from it). Oh well, preparing to get rest only to go on the hunt again tomorrow!
Any one know of an insecticide that is not harmful to us???

chazparas:

The stronger you get, the more likely to be harmful to people. The Bayer stuff seems to be not too bad as harmful goes, but according to their website, you shouldn't spray plants such as your herbs and Passiflora.

"Bayer Advanced 2-in-1Rose and Flower Insect Killer Ready-to-Spray is not for use on or around edible plants, herbs and fruit trees."

It also is deadly to bees and fish until it dries. Once it dries, it seems to be OK for children and pets.

You can download the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) at their site if you want more information, but a lot of normal household chemicals also have very scary MSDS sheets.

Claire (who has no financial ties to Bayer)

Here is a link that might be useful: Bayer product data site

Well, I did it today. Dug out 15 asiatic lilies and 20 tiger lilies. Hopefully I got all the bulbs. Everyone of them where well chewed by the red devils, some had barely any leaves on them.
My neighbors are just desimated and she was out digging them up too.
Didn't even feel bad about it. Decided to collect all the red things I could find just to see how bad it really was before I started digging. In the coffee can filled with some rubbing alcohol I put in 85 red lily leaf beetles. Stopped counting and collecting at that point and just dug out the bulbs.
Like I said before, when the infestation gets this bad it's time to dig them out and move on to some other beautiful plants that don't have this problem

littleonfb:

Did your neighbor do anything to try to control the infestation? I'm just trying to get a feeling for what's going on in Billerica. As Cady implied, there must be a reservoir of unprotected lilies that the beetles are feeding on.

If beetles are feeding happily down the street, then they'll keep flying into your yard.

Claire

Claire,
The next door neighbors just moved in last fall. The prior owners along with everyone on my street have been fighting the beetles for several years. All of us doing the same thing. The people on the 2 side streets also. We all decided it just isn't worht the effort anymore and most of them have young children and don't want to use heavy pesticide treatment.
A friend called me this morning from the other side of town, about 6 miles away, heading north towards lowell. She had a few for the last few years and picked them off. this year she has hundreds of them and dug hers out yesterday too. Once the lilies are so badly infested, it's just too much to deal with and constant spraying to just try and keep in under control.
In spring of 2001, my mother had none with her lilies in Newton. She passed away the end of Oct. and we found a few for the first time on them, when we were digging out her plants from her garden to transplant here. We left the lilies and took the rest. I spoke with a neighbor of hers and they have tons and tons of them now and ruining all the lilies.
These guys are just spreading everywhere as has been expected and in the end, I guess it's an individual decision as to whether you want to continue trying to keep the lilies and use some strong pesticide or give up and dig them out.

littleonefb:

At this point in time I'm not willing to give up on the lilies. The infestation here in Plymouth is nowhere near the rate you're experiencing. For me, the use of the systemic spray sold by Bayer is acceptable and should buy a few year's protection until help arrives.

Besides spraying, there's also hope in the biological control project in progress by URI researchers (Casagrande and Tewksbury). According to their March 31, 2006 report, the parasitic wasps they're releasing are successfully parasitizing the beetles and are overwintering well.

Claire

Here is a link that might be useful: March 31, 2006 update on biological control

I found the first ones this afternoon (5). They appear to be isolated to the south side of the house and only on those lilies that are noticeably "up" (between 5-10"). The first 3 were milling around sort of aimlessly, the other two were locked in a loving embrace. I checked all the plants, delicately peeling back the leaves, then VERY gently squeezing the top part... out one popped... heheh...

The good thing is, I'm "on to them"! And they're later than they have been in the past. The "big lily in the sky" will be a busy place this spring.

I have only one plant they attack--my one crown imperial, Fritillaria imperialis. They appeared on it today--quite a number. I squished some but will have to spray it. BTW, wasn't Sevin taken off the shelves some years ago? Thought it was illegal.

So far, none in my garden or my neighbor's. I've avoided planting fritts but do have about 3 dozen lilies. My neighbor is also free of them. Keeping fingers crossed...

Hi all, I just got a bottle of the Bayer Tree/Shrub insect control. This is the stuff you measure into a bucket or a watering can and drench the soil. No spraying, which I hate.

NOWHERE can i find the correct amt of the product to mix in a gallon of water. Directions on the bottle are for trees and shrubs. Does anyone have a clue???

Thanks,
Marsha

Marsha:

The Bayer FAQ for the Tree and Shrub concentrate advises against using this product on flowers, perennials and groundcovers.

"Can Bayer Bayer Advanced" Tree & Shrub Insect Control be used on flowers, perennials and groundcovers with the same effectiveness?

No. Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Insect Control is not labeled for these types of applications. Please be sure to always read and follow all label instructions carefully."

You might try calling or e-mailing them to see if there's some flexibility here, since they say "with the same effectiveness". A little less effectiveness might be perfectly fine. or maybe not.

Claire

Here is a link that might be useful: Bayer FAQ

Hi Claire,

thanks for replying. This product is the exact one Paul Parent advocates using for control of this little red monster. He mentions it quite frequently on his radio show. I forgot to write down how much to mix though. This is a product that specifically states it is not for spraying, but drenching. Since I shelled out $20 at Lowe's, and opened it, i guess i will bite the bullet and go for it. After i posted my question, I went out and again checked my lilies. Amazing how there were none (visible above the soil line) a couple hours ago, and now, whoa, they are definitely here :-( It was only a matter of time. Mine are very late in emerging this year.

Thanks,
Marsha

Marsha:

That's good to know. When you find out the dilution please post it.

I think I tried the Bayer Advanced All-In-One Rose & Flower Care at some point and it worked. It's a soil drench also and much easier to use than spraying.

Claire

Come to think of it, I think I used the All-In-One product one spring when the lilies were just coming up, on the idea that there wasn't much plant to spray, but there was lots of soil around them to drench.

I hesitated to use it mid-season because it contains a fertilizer as well and might over-fertilize the neighboring plants.

I need to go check out the tool shed and see what I've got there (my lilies are now only just beginning to emerge).

Claire

Claire, Thats a riot yours are only just beginning to emerge too. I thought I was the only one!! I ran out of light tonight to be able to apply the stuff. I can just visualize all the damage the buzzards did overnight :-( I did check Paul Parents site, and re-googled the stuff too, with no great dilution info. So, bright and early tomorrow am, I will be out there with my bucket drenching away. I think I will go at something like 1.5 oz per gallon, which is halfway between what they recommend for trees and shrubs, as i recall. I just dont want to wait much longer. Of course it is freaking almost 11pm, I'm tired, and could be totally wrong there regarding the dilution idea!

Thanks,
Marsha

I have not seen one yet this year. I did see a couple holes in a lily at client's garden, but no red devils. They are usually out pretty early here, not too long after the lilies emerge. I'm sure I'll see a bunch soon enough.

I will say that last year I didn't have much of a problem with them. Their #s seemed to be really reduced from previous years, and they were quite easy to control. I have been using Bayer Rose & Flower Insect Spray (not 2 in 1, or 3 in 1) every few weeks. The Bayer does a wonderful job in keeping them at bay, much more effective on the lily leaf beetles than the japanese beetles. I did start spraying early in the season, soon as I saw one.

This is my third year using the Bayer Rose & Flower spray (so much for staying organic...) , and it's worked well for me. I had lots of damage the first year (had no idea what the beetles or their nasty little larvae were until much of the damage had been done), but minimal damage last year and this year, when I started spraying early. And I have well over 100 lilies. I've only found/ squished about 10 beetles so far, no nasty larvae to flick off and flush yet.

Debbie

Hope you guys continue to have low or no #'s of the devils! I went with the Bayer treeshrub stuff, because I hate spraying, and you only apply it once a season. I just love that.

Marsha

Has anyone had these pests attack other members of the lily family? I have lost two large clumps--each over 20 years old!--of Korean fairy bells (Disporum flavum) and great merrybells (Uvularia grandiflora), both members of the lily family, tho not true lilies. I am wondering if that's what happened to them--got devoured when I wasn't looking. Anyone have such damage to perennials that are lily family but not true lily bulbs?

I bought the Bayer spray early last week and applied it.... haven't seen a red moving thing since. No new holes on leaves either. But I'm still checking every morning and evening.

Marsha, is it possible to contact Paul Parent's radio show to get the water ratio you need? (or did you figure it out already?)

Well...they are in Warwick, RI. I saw two getting it on this morning on my lilies. Looks like I have to start squishing too.

None here yet but they're, probably, marching my way. Last season, had just a few (less than half a dozen). Here on this penninsula we have fewer pests but half a mile away, in town, I've been seeing them on lilies for the past month, or so.

Hi Judy, I thought it would take an eternity to get an answer, so I looked at the Bayer spray bottle's recommendation, and kind of punted from there, I will let you know if i croaked any of my lilies!!

Does anybody have a picture of these beetles they can post?

I just habrely have lilies breaking out of the ground, but in the past I don't ever recall seeing anything devouring them.

Rogue's gallery.

Claire

Here is a link that might be useful: Google image search - lily leaf beetle

I've started to find them in Easton as well, not so much on my Asiatics but they are right now going to town on my Imperial Lilies. Last year I had a small bed with 6 or so different Asiatics, and that was the only place they were a problem, I've since moved those plants to a larger bed that now has 20 or so bulbs just popping up (picked a great year for a large bed of lilies, go figure!!) Anyhow, I had some pretty good success last year with a homemade spray of Olive Oil, Dish Soap, and water, just mixed it up in a sprayer and doused the plants, making sure to get the undersides of the leaves as well. This was right around the time of year where I wiped out the first wave of the beetle larvae (and believe meÂif you hate the little red beetles, wait til you see their disgusting offspring!), the plants were untouched for 2 weeks or so, then they reappeared. Must've simply washed off with rain and morning dew. I never did reapply as I stayed ahead of the bugs and never allowed them to lay anymore eggs by hand squishing them. Its also fun to burn them right where they stand with a magnifying glass or one of those long grill lighters - satisfying too!

Now I need a foolproof way to avoid squash vine borers and I'll be happy.

I was so excited yesterday! I had a brainstorm in the middle of the night last week and I have been too busy to try it until yesterday. I have trouble hand picking these bugs, why I don't know. They are so visible and I don't think they are that fast, so it is a mystery to me. But they kept getting away from me and when they drop on the ground around the plant, they drop upside down so you can't see them. I refuse to hand squish any bug. lol But in a mulched flower bed, it is pretty hard to step on them and crush them.

My idea was to vacuum them up with a dustbuster. Sure enough, I used it yesterday and it worked! It sucks them right up. They sit in the corner of the little filter bag then I carry the dustbuster out to the driveway, empty it and step on them. I was so happy ! lol

I haven't grown lilies until 3 years ago I bought my first Casa Blanca lily. I really enjoy them and I think my yard has great conditions for them. I also wanted to go native and bought some Tiger Lilies at NEWFS last year. All the red lily beetle stories have been very worriesome and I was anticipating having to give up on the lilies. So now I am excited that maybe I can manage them and keep growing lilies.

:-)

I still have a few lilies that come up and get eaten every year. I loved lilies. What I did this year, was plant some Casa Blancas for my mother in her garden plot at her senior center in Pennsylvania. I'm going down to visit her this weekend. They are coming up now. She will appreciate them this summer. I hope they don't have the lily beetles there yet.

I saw my very first red lily beetle EVER this past Sunday (middle of CT). I was disgusted. We have many lilies so I'll be buying the spray-but I usually don't spray things however I refuse the lose all my lilies. We started spraying last year for perennial Hibiscus sawfly b/c they defoliated my Hibiscus for a couple of years and we couldn't control it.

Have seen my first ever little red devil on my tiger lily here in Natick. was feeling pretty smug up until now! Had heard abou this devil so have only invested in 2 lillies--so far plants are ok--but can't wait till i have their disgusting offspring. will hand pick and maybe dustbuster this year and yank them if too infested. such a shame. I love tiger lillies. jardinista

Squished six this morning. Have known for about a week we've had them--holes in leaves. Thinking seriously about the Bayer Rose spray.

I couldn't keep up with the squishing, so I finally bought Bayer's Rose spray. Sprayed my tiger lilies and haven't seen a red moving thing since. A week later they showed up on my Easter lilies....sprayed them and now is all clear. I keep inspecting them and my other lilies. So far, so good. It was a good investment.

They finally showed up here in southern Plymouth today, on tiger lilies.

Actually, I saw some suspicious holes in leaves last week, but it was raining and I didn't think that spraying would work in the rain. I used the Bayer's spray today.

Claire

I don't think I remember seeing someone post this earlier. But I just discovered that Bonide's Eight knocks out the larvae of the Lily Leaf Beetle. I sprayed some this morning on some of the leaves where I saw damage from the larvae. I just went out there and saw mass casualties. (Oh man, are they GROSS!) So, the residual effect of Eight is quite good. I just ran around and sprayed the rest of my lilies.

did i read somewhere that Eight is the new and improved Sevin?...

Three weeks after spraying with Bayers, I found two red beetles this morning on the Easter lilies. Sprayed again. Hadn't seen the larvae, didn't even see new holes on leaves...but the red buggers were unmistakeable. Be gone! (I hope!)

Eight is the new and improved Sevin. I did try the Eight on the adults a couple of weeks ago when I first saw them. I caught a couple threw them into a jar and sprayed. I think they laughed at me and my Eight as it did nothing to them on contact. I'm curious to see if the residual properties has any effect on the adult...I'm not holding my breath.

I'm SO grateful to have found this forum! Thanks so much for the Bayer recommendation. I've just found the beetles in the past week here in Burlington, Vermont. Several clients have the problem also. It's the first we've seen. I understand that if we're to persist with our lilies (I WILL!), we need to keep after them. Do you recommend the soil drench early in the season and then continual spraying? Can I do the drench now or is it too late? (I have adult beetles still, but don't see the larvae on what is left of the skeleton leaves.) I want to kill the grubs and the adults NOW.

I'm not an expert, but I would think that you should spray now since you've already seen them. A soil drench will probably take longer to get into the plant's system (via the roots) then the spray, which should be absorbed directly into the leaves and stems.

The soil drench is probably best early in the season when you don't see much plant yet, but the bulb/roots are very active. It also will kill any adults that are sleeping under the ground. It also might be good late in the season when the adults are diving down for the winter.

Spray now, and then when you get the beetles under control you can consider using the drench if it's more convenient. The only thing I've worried about is the fertilizer that may be included with the pesticide (check the label). A fertilizer is probably OK for the lily bulbs, but might not be good for adjacent perennials late in the season.

Claire

Thanks so much, Claire!
I'm sprayin' and squeezin'!

They were hammering my Canada lillies last year. This year I picked off adults and squished them. When I caught the nasty larvae or egg clusters- I ripped the leaf off just below where the damage ended and squished them. Just being judicious about this (every day during the first big attack, which tapers off to every couple/few days) made a huge impact!

Well- a bit more work, but that's an organic alternative that worked very well for me.

I'm still trying to approach it from an organic standpoint. I am confused though. I haven't seen a lily leaf beetle for over a month now. My one lily is a Casa Blanca, and it still had quite a few leaves left and bloomed beautifully and this was it's 5th year, I think. I did notice the Solomon's Seal in the yard had a small amount of damage to it's leaves that looked similar to what I saw on the lily. I know these are alternate hosts. Still, it looks like old damage.

Should I still be seeing the adults this past month? I am wondering if I have small numbers of them, or if they are already in the ground waiting to come out next spring?

PM- my limited experience is that they start out in early spring, do the most damage in mid-late spring, and are pretty much burned out by mid summer (now). I saw a few stragglers a month ago, but not enough to be concerned about.

Well, that's one saving grace for them :)

Supposedly by now it's just adult beetles still around and they won't mate and lay eggs until next year. I haven't seen any lately, but I sprayed recently and may have killed them all off (I hope).

I didn't find any specific information on when they head underground, just a vague "in the fall". I tried a few times to get Garden Webbers to report last sightings. The only report I got was in 2003 - mid October on the coast of New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Keep watching.

Claire

Aargh! Around noon today I saw two lily leaf beetles on a tiger lily (long past bloom). There were bees around so I didn't want to spray before late afternoon, and the beetles weren't within easy reach to try to catch and squish.

Now it's late afternoon and starting to rain so I can't spray. Maybe they'll drown.

I'm hoping it'll be dry enough tomorrow afternoon to spray. They won't cause too much damage this time of year but I want to kill them before they can go underground.

Claire

Thanks for reporting that Claire. I didn't realize they would be back this year and I will have to go check now. You are right though to get them now so there will be less next year.

:-)