Asian Lily Beetles - A New Garden Threat
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Article by: Fred Davis Anyone genuinely interested in Nature , Tulips: Anything But Typical - while perhaps naive enough to believe in its absolute innocence - might think the small, bright fiery-orange beetle that's suddenly materialized in their gardens , US Flag Etiquette is strikingly beautiful , Pool Waterfalls and perfectly harmless. About the size of a rather narrow ladybug without spots, it almost sparkles as it seems to sun , Winterizing Your Roses itself on the leaves and emerging flower , Planting Roses buds of Asiatic and Oriental hybrid lilies. In fact, the appearance of innocence and beauty is totally misleading...if not downright deceptive. Early spring , Lawnmowers and How to Save Work Installing Synthetic Turf on Tennis Courts sunbathing is clearly not what it has in mind! Lilioceris lilii. Asian Lily Beetle, aka Lily Leaf Beetle, is focusing its entire attention on filling its belly and finding a mate. When those two primary goals have been fulfilled, watch out! Your beautiful , Backyard Landscaping Ideas lilies are about to vanish. And if you have no hybrid lilies but concentrate on growing fruits , The Basics of Plant Growth; (Part 2) Plant Energy and vegetables, , How to Read a Seed Catalog your tomatoes, , November Gardening Tips potatoes, eggplants and peppers , Decorative Stone Uses For Landscaping (nightshades) are in serious jeopardy. Where did they come from? Asian Lily Beetles first appeared in Boston a little over a dozen years ago, probably stowaways in plants , Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) imported from abroad...quite possibly China. Rapidly spreading throughout Massachusetts and points north, by 1999 they had worked their way up the New England coast to Brunswick, then inland areas...finally reaching the Mid-Coast and more than a few miles inland to the west, devastating lilies as they traveled. Now they have occupied very nearly every agricultural and horticultural area in several eastern states and three Canadian provinces and, in my opinion - and that of a great many other horticultural/entomological professionals - will soon surpass the populations and crop damage done by the dreaded Japanese Beetles (Popillia japonica). Adult Lily Leaf Beetles over-winter in the soil , Colorado Blue Spruce And Lush Red Roses or in un-cleaned-up plant , Colorado Blue Spruce And Lush Red Roses debris after fall , Garden for Birds #3 frost. Following emergence during early spring, , Planting Roses they mate and quickly deposit between 200 and 300 tiny dull-orange eggs on the undersides of leaves, in clusters of two to ten. Hatch occurs in five to ten days after which larvae feed for between 16 and 24 days, growing , Taming Your Outdoors rapidly to about twice the size of their parents. It is at this point that they are feeding heavily. Highly vulnerable to predacious insects during this "soft" feeding stage, larvae cover themselves in their own sticky, mud-like excrement (droppings) as a highly effective defense against attack. Most gardeners describe them as looking like small dirty slugs. If you scrape the feces away, you'll see a soft, dull-red beetle whose wing cases have as yet to harden. At about this point, larvae either crawl or drop to the ground where they pupate in secreted cocoons. In under 25 days, a fully mature adult emerges to begin the process anew. There can be as many as three such generations in a single season. , Lawnmowers and How to Save Work Installing Synthetic Turf on Tennis Courts To make matters worse, it is possible for female beetles who have deposited their eggs for the current season , Fall is the Time to Get Your Garden Trees and Shrubs Ready for Winter: Here's What to Do to survive a second winter , Indoor Waterfalls and lay another huge clutch of eggs the following year. Allow me to do the math for you: One mature female beetle x 200 x 200 x 200 = 8,000,000 at a minimum. And that's in our short New England growing season. , How to Read a Seed Catalog Alfred Hitchcock would've had a field day with those numbers! What else will they attack? An all-time dietary favorite is fritillary (Fritillaria sp.), but are most often seen on Asiatic, Oriental, and "tiger" lilies (Lilium sp.), lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis), Solomon's seal (Polygonatum multiflorum), certain vegetables, , Taming Your Outdoors and occasionally other common garden , Landscaping Tips: What Mulch to Use for Trees perennials when their favorites are either not present or already consumed. How are they controlled? Best of all is daily scouting of your garden, , Annuals - 5 Easy To Grow Flowers hand-picking or knocking adults into a jar of soapy water, , Birdbaths or spraying with one of the products , Teak Patio Furniture Will Dress Up Your Patio described below. There are two natural , Planting Roses "pesticides" effective in the control of Asian Lily Beetles: 1. NEEM, a biochemical pest , Grow Some Interesting Plants You Won't Find At Your Local Greenhouse control substance extracted from the tropical , Mosquito Farms? Is That What Water Gardens Are? Neem tree. , Indoor Waterfalls It affects the insect while in its larval stage by interrupting molting, and may also serve to repel adults. 2. PYRETHRIN, a product , Winterizing Your Roses extracted from common painted daisies (Pyrethrum sp.), may be sprayed on plants , Secrets To Beautiful Shade Gardens to control both adults and larval stages. I consider Pyrethrin to be the best choice. I have also noted that RESMETHRIN - a synthetic form of Pyrethrin found in formulations for garden , All About Tulip s foggers - destroys the larval form. All of these insecticides are commonly stocked by large, retail garden , The Basics of Plant Growth; (Part 2) Plant Energy centers, and less reliably at "big-box" stores. As always, read and observe all labeling information. , Colorado Blue Spruce And Lush Red Roses Wear protective gloves when handling or applying, and wash thoroughly when the job's done. Even though they're considered "natural", there's no point in taking any chances with your health or that of your loved ones. One last thought: The true key to controlling population numbers of this new and highly destructive villain in your garden, , Teak Patio Furniture Will Dress Up Your Patio in the words of Alistair "Mad-Eye" Moody of Harry Potter fame: CONSTANT VIGILANCE! We must be ruthless and unyielding in our search for and destruction , Colorado Blue Spruce And Lush Red Roses of every Asian Lily Beetle we encounter! The future of hybrid and tiger lilies in our gardens , Easy Pond and Water Construction depends on it.To view photographs of Asian Lily Beetle go to http://www.HillGardens.com/asianlilybeetles.htm Fred Davis is a Master Gardener, Master Composter, , Best Perennial Plants for Summer Color lecturer, and long-time nurseryman. He and his wife, Linda, own and operate a popular perennial , Pruning Trees and Shrubs to Enhance Garden Views nursery in Palermo, Maine. He is also author of the book, "Keys To The Garden , Delights For Midsummer Gate - Saying Some Things That Need To Be Said" |
  
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