"Doug" wrote in message
...
Hi LeAnne,

On Wed, 18 Jun 2003 11:58:17 -0400, "LeeAnne"
Search and destroy Doug, they are a horrible insect w/no natural
predators

They've got one now ... a 6'2, 200lb bad ass that's not fond of any
1/4 inch schmuck eating his lilies! :-)

nice to know someone else deffinately doesn't want these things eating their
lilies either. I have Shanadoah, Yellowstone, a georgous yellow trumpet I
got from McClure and Zimmerman and my Dragon lilies that I'd destroy
anything that attacked them! not to mention the red America, Conneticut, etc
Oriental's that come up just after the irises. They also eat Solomon's Seal
of which I have the varigated variety. I kinda freaked when I saw those red
bugs at my other kid's new house Sunday. That's Dandridge, Tennessee and I
was unaware of them making it this far but anything is possible because we
share plants and stuff.

Where are you located? They are slowly spreading throughout New England
(I'm north of Boston) and I believe they are in southern NH now as well.

I'm a far bit north ... just east of Toronto, Ontario in the burbs.

Good gawd, if they can survive a winter in Toronto, what hope do I have here
in mild Eastern Tennessee??? (yer depressing me, Doug............)

It is a huge battle - the adults overwinter in the soil then come out in
the
spring to mate and lay eggs (little orange dots on the underside of the

I've started to inspect my lillies very closely, once in the morning
and again in the latter part of the afternoon. After the first run I
killed 5-6 of them, and scraped off maybe 2 dozen eggs. Since the
first run though I have yet to see any more, so *hopefully* I've
gotten them all. Will be sure to keep a close eye on them though.


Doug

according to Ann who is in the regions of Mass near Boston herself, the
larvae are seriously yucky because of their habit of carrying their feces on
their backs, which is probably why birds won't pick them off. Personally
all that tells me is it's digested plant stuff, so I won't be grossed out.
But I also read the article when I looked it up that they are extremely
voracious. I just hope we haven't gotten them here yet. Makes me weary to
buy lilies that are potted up even! I heard they came over in BULBS!! How
the hell does one let slip bulbs, bare bulbs that have either orange red
eggs around them, or screaming red beetles? I just don't understand. That
tells me someone ain't doing their job is what it tells me......
madgardener off to werk now..........