By Ladybug47
CUMBRIA,
United Kingdom 
HELP,last year i killed a lily beetle,this year ive killed 6 plus two in my dads garden,ive just come back from two day away had a wander round my garden like you do coz it changes so much in a day,and my lily is all eaten i turn over leaves and theres tons well sixteen bugs covered in what looks like wet poo,ive cut the lilys right back do i have to kill the bulbs,ive got seven pots of lilys but they only seem to be in this pot alone,please say i dont have to kill them and how to stop this happening again,someone told me to water them with garlic water which i have been doing,thankyou for any help
9 Jul, 2015
Answers
thankyou ive been freaking out about them,the bulbs they are on I got in bruge(belgium)and all the rest at harrogate garden fair which seem clear,i would hate to lose them.
9 Jul, 2015
The 'wet poo' is the covering of the larval stage of the beetle, so you definitely need to get rid if that. I found that Pyrethrum based insecticides work and are reasonably organic, used as per the instructions with regard to bees etc.
http://www.greengardener.co.uk/product.asp?id_pc=13&cat=25&id_product=376
You do need to go over the plants every day looking for the adults, but there is no need to destroy the actual bulbs. We have a fair number in the garden, not in pots, and they are growing well. I just go over them every day and kill any beetles I see. Never ending battle though.
9 Jul, 2015