Hi,
I just discover this group, and need some advices/opinions.

I learned today that I have lily beetles in my front yard.
I am in Ontario (Can).
What a disgusting creature! Its larvae live in its own excrement!

I visited a local garden center. They adviced me to use Bug-B-Gon
to "drench" around the lily plant, and I can spray Aim (containing
Pyrethrine). What a product! It kills upon contact. But the larvae
have to be picked out by hand!!!!

My question a
1) I have used Aim, I will drench around the plant now and
in the Fall, is that enough to protect the plant? Will they come back
next Spring?
2) Do they cause any harm to neighboring plants/trees/shrubs?

Please advice, and please give details since I am not a flower/plant guy
at all.
Thanks in advance.
Mic -

"gardin" wrote in message
. ..

Hi,
I just discover this group, and need some advices/opinions.

I learned today that I have lily beetles in my front yard.
I am in Ontario (Can).
What a disgusting creature! Its larvae live in its own excrement!

I visited a local garden center. They adviced me to use Bug-B-Gon
to "drench" around the lily plant, and I can spray Aim (containing
Pyrethrine). What a product! It kills upon contact. But the larvae
have to be picked out by hand!!!!

My question a
1) I have used Aim, I will drench around the plant now and
in the Fall, is that enough to protect the plant? Will they come back
next Spring?

Yes. Almost all garden insecticides are only temporary solutions. There
are some insecticides which are systemic in that they are absorbed by the
plant and work when the bug starts to eat the treated plant. These types of
controls will last longer than most other types, but I don't think the
effect would last from one year to the next. Systemic insecticides are
generally the most toxic to people.

2) Do they cause any harm to neighboring plants/trees/shrubs?

Probably not directly all that much, but many insecticides will kill
beneficial insects, such as bees and worms, which could indirectly harm
plants.


Please advice, and please give details since I am not a flower/plant guy
at all.
Thanks in advance.
Mic -

Insecticidal soap should kill the larvae, although it may not kill the
beetles themselves. Of course if you keep killing the larvae, eventually
the adult beetles will disappear. Insecticidal soap only kills on contact
and will have very little lasting effects. Neem should kill both adults and
larvae, but it's effects last a bit longer than insecticidal soap and it
will also kill bees. It's not a good idea to use Neem around plants that
are currently flowering which you want to allow pollination. Examples of
this would be flowering fruits and vegetables and annuals which you want to
naturally reseed. Neem suppossedly is mildly toxic to plants, but I have
not personally observed any problems with its use.

As with any insect problem, you generally want to find the product which is
tailored only to the type of insect you are trying to remove and not to
beneficial insects, or at least use one that doesn't persist for very long.
Insecticidal soap is usually my first choice because it only kills on
contact, however it will only kill soft bodied insects. Dish soap will
perform the same function, but is not recommended because the additives in
dish soap are harmful to plants.

Try this web site:
http://www.gardenadvice.com/index.cf...rchType=global
"gardin" wrote in message
. ..

Hi,
I just discover this group, and need some advices/opinions.

I learned today that I have lily beetles in my front yard.
I am in Ontario (Can).
What a disgusting creature! Its larvae live in its own excrement!

I visited a local garden center. They adviced me to use Bug-B-Gon
to "drench" around the lily plant, and I can spray Aim (containing
Pyrethrine). What a product! It kills upon contact. But the larvae
have to be picked out by hand!!!!

My question a
1) I have used Aim, I will drench around the plant now and
in the Fall, is that enough to protect the plant? Will they come back
next Spring?
2) Do they cause any harm to neighboring plants/trees/shrubs?

Please advice, and please give details since I am not a flower/plant guy
at all.
Thanks in advance.
Mic -