By Polyear
United Kingdom
my stargazer lilies are full of holes. I`ve discovered bright red beetles on the leaves. Can anyone tell me how to get rid of them without using chemicals ?
- 21 May, 2013
Answers
Pick them off and squish them. They tend to fall on their backs and you can't see them in the soil so be vigilant.
21 May, 2013
Put some white paper around the plants before you start searching for them, that way you can still see them when they drop to the ground, and look on the undersides of the leaves for the grubs, but wear rubber gloves for this, because they live in their own excreta, I know, disgusting, Derek.
21 May, 2013
Before you kill them all, put a few in a glass, and put your ear close to the glass. You'll be able to hear them squeaking. As Derek says, look for the black lumps of 'poo' on the leaves and remove them, too, because the larvae are hidden in them. The only good thing is that they're bright enough to spot, and the at the first sign of notched edges to the leaves you know they're there, they've given themselves away
21 May, 2013
Thats a bit horrid Worthy, or should I say not worthy of you!
22 May, 2013
These are Lily Beetles, a scourge of southern gardens. You just have to look for them on the leaves of your lilies and squash them between your fingers.
21 May, 2013