Doug wrote:

On Thu, 19 Jun 2003 05:29:28 -0400, "madgardener"
Good gawd, if they can survive a winter in Toronto, what hope do I
have here in mild Eastern Tennessee??? (yer depressing me,
Doug............)

I can't say for certain if they did overwinter. I know for certain
that I did NOT have them last year, and this past winter had some
pretty cold days (down to -30 sometimes), so that would be impressive.

I'm near you Doug (Mississauga) and I've had them for 3 years... the
adults overwinter, -30 doesn't seem to faze them...

If you do a Google search for "red lily beetle" there are lots of
information sheets about them and various control methods online.

Hand-picking can be tricky because they are very cunning and drop off
the plants when they sense movement... I use chemical sprays when
necessary on particularly bad areas. I find diligent hunting and killing
in the spring makes for a much easier summer. Often you can find them at
the base of the plants hiding just under the surface of mulch or debris.
At least they're easy to see with that bright colour :-)

You don't want to pussyfoot around with these fellows; they will
eventually strip and kill the lilies if not controlled, and do spread
very rapidly... they are strong flyers. Kill kill kill :-) Good luck.

Rebecca
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