Lily beetles look interesting, but they can cause a lot of damage in the garden, so quick action is required in the event of an infestation!
Have you ever noticed a bright red beetle on your plants in your garden? It could have been the lily chicken. As pretty as the beetle looks and as harmless as the name sounds, the damage it can do to your garden is just as great. Contrary to what the name might suggest, the damage isn't just limited to lily plants. They also target imperial crowns and other bulbous plants such as lily of the valley and various vegetables such as garlic and chives. Therefore, it is important that you take immediate action to combat it.
We'll show you how to recognize a lily beetle infestation and how to combat it.
Recognizing Lily Beetle
Lily beetles are easily identified in the garden by their bright red colored shield, which makes them stand out against the green of the foliage. The head and the two of the beetle, which is about eight millimeters in size, are black. The same goes for the underside of the beetle.
The larvae of the lily beetle, on the other hand, are not so easy to recognize. They, too, grow to about eight millimeters in size, but are more inconspicuous with a greyish-yellow color. They are also covered in slimy feces, which is used for camouflage and to deter predators. The same goes for the lily chicken eggs.
» By the way:
The lily beetle owes its name to the fact that in certain situations it makes a noise that is reminiscent of a rooster crowing. Hold the beetle in your closed hand and gently squeeze. If the beetle crows, you have another indication that it is a lily beetle.
Injury of the lily beetle
Lily beetles overwinter as pupae and beetles in the ground. The beetles come out of their hiding places in early spring and gnaw on the leaves, blossoms and shoots of lilies and the like. Around the beginning of May, the beetles begin to lay the orange-yellow eggs on the undersides of the leaves. From these, the larvae develop, which cause significantly greater damageon the plants than the adult beetles.
An infestation by the lily beetle is initially indicated by circular feeding marks on the plant. In the later course, only the midribs and the gnawed stems of the affected plants usually remain. In addition, the lily beetle can also be to blame for the fact that lilies and imperial crowns do not bloom.
We have another video for you that gives you a picture of the damage that the lily beetle can do:
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Fight Lilith Beetle
If lily beetles have attacked your plants, you don't have to reach for the chemical club right away. We have some effective alternatives for you.
Collect lily beetle
A first and effective way to get rid of the lily beetle is to collect the beetles. But you have to be aware that the beetles can fall to the ground. You will then lie there with the dark underside facing up, making it difficult for you to see the ground. It is therefore advisable to place light-colored fleece under the plant or to hold a container under the plant so that you can catch the beetles. You should also check the plants for larvae and eggs and remove them if necessary.
Tip: Ideally, carry out this action in the morning hours when the beetles are not very mobile.
Fighting lily beetle with home remedies
It only makes sense to collect the beetles and larvae from the infested plants if the infestation is minor. With various home remedies, you can also get a large-scale infestation under control.
Water Jet
The larvae of the lily beetles are not quite as easy to spot as the adult beetles. Hidden larvae can also be easily removed from the plant with a jet of water. Since they are very immobile, they will not be able to climb back up the plant and will die.
Soap and Alcohol
One home remedy that has proven effective in the fight against lily beetle is a mixture of soap, denatured alcohol and water that you spray the plant from above and under the leaves. This will drive away the beetles and effectively kill the larvae.
To make this mix you will need
- a teaspoon of soap
- 200 millilitersAlcohol
- a liter of water
Tip: A mixture of soft soap, ethanol and water also has this effect.
Algae lime and rock flour
Another way to declare war on the lily beetle is to pollinate the affected plant with algae lime or rock dust. If you cover the entire plant at an early stage - including the undersides of the leaves - with a wafer-thin layer of algae lime or rock flour, you can prevent egg laying. You can also spoil the appetite of the larvae. To do this, however, it is necessary that you really distribute the fine powder into each leaf axil.
You can get both the algae lime and the rock flour from specialist retailers, but also from Amazon:
Tip: The easiest way to spread the powder over the plants is to put it in a nylon stocking and then tap it on the plant tissue.
Stinging nettle manure
Prepare nettle manure and spray your plants with it. This way you can drive away the lily beetle and at the same time strengthen the plants.
You can find various information on how to prepare nettle manure on the internet. We recommend pouring a liter of boiling water over about 20 to 30 fresh nettles and mixing this mixture in a container with about four liters of water. It can take a few days for the liquid manure to fully mature. Once the manure has turned brown, it is ripe and can be used against the lily beetle. To do this, remove the nettle manure and spray it undiluted on the plants and also on the undersides of the leaves.
Tip: You can add some rock flour to counteract the stench that arises during the fermentation of the nettle manure.
In order for the nettle manure to be effective, several applications are necessary. It is important to ensure that you do not treat your plants in the rain. Because then the application would be useless.
tansy broth
tansy broth has a similar effect to nettle manure. However, it takes significantly less time to prepare. Simply boil 100 grams of dried flowers and three liters of water. Once the broth has cooled, you can strain it and spray your plants with it. Here, too, several applications are necessary on rainy days so that the broth can develop its effect.
Coffee grounds
Supposedly coffee grounds are supposed todrive away voracious beetles. Scatter this thinly around the individual plants. The pests don't like this at all and run away.
Tip: If this measure is useless, you have at least given your plants a good fertilizer.
Natural predators of the lily beetle
Lily chickens have various predators. They include hedgehogs, birds, shrews and space bugs. Design your garden in such a way that these animals feel comfortable in it.
Reading tip: Attracting birds - this is how you get atmospheric chirping in the garden
Tip: Although wasps are not welcome in the garden, they also decimate the population of the lily beetle - for example the parasitic wasps.