I battled lily leaf beetles on my Asiatic lilies last year, and sure
enough, they're back again this spring. I also have a couple of dozen
calla lily bulbs, which I plant in late May and lift in October. Are
calla lilies also tempting to these beetles? In case I can't eradicate
all of the pesky red critters, am I tempting fate to plant callas this
summer? Thanks for any advice.

SueG
Zone 5a

to sueG:


excuse me, i realise this quest is coming quite a bit later than your
posting, sue, but if you don't mind....what colour are these beetles?? are
they, by some very unhappy chance, khaki coloured, smaller than. uh...let's
say...japanese beetles??? and do these rotten beetles also devour roses,
most fruit tree leaves, and, of course, their most favourite: Tilia (or
Linden tree)?????

if so, you're dealing with the infamous ROSE CHAFTER and the ONLY manner in
which to rid your lilies and everything else on their menu list is to
MANUALLY pick them off and dump them into a bowl, bottle, or any other type
of container in which a mixture of water and liquid dish detergent - (or
squish them between your fingers).

although their resemblance to japanese beetles is quite strong, it seems,
according to experts, there IS no true relation...and this is why the
pherenome bait for JB doesn't work!!

alas, too bad.
each year they defoliate my linden tree down from a shade tree to a shadow
of a tree; they munch through rose blossoms AND the leaves; they devour ALL
my varieties of plum trees; they even dine in on asparagus ferns!!!

i just cannot undersstand WHY noah allowed them to come aboard the ark!!!!!
--
With Malus toward none, and Cherry-Trees toward all.


From: SueG
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2006 15:08:19 -0400
Subject: Lily leaf beetle question

I battled lily leaf beetles on my Asiatic lilies last year, and sure
enough, they're back again this spring. I also have a couple of dozen
calla lily bulbs, which I plant in late May and lift in October. Are
calla lilies also tempting to these beetles? In case I can't eradicate
all of the pesky red critters, am I tempting fate to plant callas this
summer? Thanks for any advice.

SueG
Zone 5a

Recently, RAINDEAR wrote:

to sueG:


excuse me, i realise this quest is coming quite a bit later than your
posting, sue, but if you don't mind

Not at all, thank you for responding.

....what colour are these beetles?? are
they, by some very unhappy chance, khaki coloured, smaller than. uh...let's
say...japanese beetles??? and do these rotten beetles also devour roses,
most fruit tree leaves, and, of course, their most favourite: Tilia (or
Linden tree)?????

The beetles are lipstick-red. They're definitely lily leaf beetles.
They attacked each of the four locations of Asiatics lilies in my
garden last year. The main bed was a mess after they got through with
it.

if so, you're dealing with the infamous ROSE CHAFTER and the ONLY manner in
which to rid your lilies and everything else on their menu list is to
MANUALLY pick them off and dump them into a bowl, bottle, or any other type
of container in which a mixture of water and liquid dish detergent - (or
squish them between your fingers).

Yep, been there, done that -- repeatedly.

although their resemblance to japanese beetles is quite strong, it seems,
according to experts, there IS no true relation...and this is why the
pherenome bait for JB doesn't work!!

I read last year that Merit should work if applied to the soil in
early spring. I spent a couple of weeks wrangling with our lawn
service people about it (yes we can do that, no problem/no we can't,
sorry), but they eventually found out that Merit is not permitted to
be used on ornamentals here in Canada. They recommended Sevin, a
carbaryl insecticide. The first application was last week and has
already made a difference. I'll keep at it for the next several weeks
just to be sure.


alas, too bad.
each year they defoliate my linden tree down from a shade tree to a shadow
of a tree; they munch through rose blossoms AND the leaves; they devour ALL
my varieties of plum trees; they even dine in on asparagus ferns!!!

i just cannot undersstand WHY noah allowed them to come aboard the ark!!!!!

Agreed!

SueG