Lily Beetles
 

Has anyone experienced these little devils? Seem to be active already
chomping Ruscus aculeatus at our Tesco Store car park.

CJ

Surely they can't be out already!!! There is a research project going on at the John Innes Centre in Norwich on these beasts. I sent some of my beetles to them last year.

"Colin Jacobs" wrote
Has anyone experienced these little devils? Seem to be active already
chomping Ruscus aculeatus at our Tesco Store car park.

Yes, been common round here for years. Neighbour had had an expanding clump
of Madonna Lillies for years and they soon went when those red devils turned
up.
You need to pick them off the plants and destroy them daily, miss a day and
your plants are lost when the young hatch. They look like bird droppings as
they cover themselves in their own excrement, nice!
They seem to love Madonna lillies most of all but any lilly will do, also
fritillarias especially Crown Imperials (mine all went).
This is one pest I do advocate a systemic spray for if you want to save/grow
lilies etc.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London