Lilies are one of our favourite flowers to grow. They are stunning in the garden as well as in cut flower bouquets. They come in a wide variety of colours, everything from white and pale pink to a deep burgundy that's almost black. They can be tall, or short, highly scented or scent free, and can be up or down facing. Some varieties are single coloured, others are bi, or tri coloured. There really is a lily for everyone. Pests are a natural problem to have in any garden, however some are much more devastating than others, and the Lily beetle is one of the bad ones.
The Lily beetle otherwise known as the Scarlet lily beetle, red lily beetle or lily leaf beetle has decimated lilies across North America in recent years. It is native to Europe and Asia but came to North America decades ago. It has been classified as an invasive species and now can be found almost anywhere in Canada and the US. Lily beetles have no natural predators in North America which is why they have become such an issue. They can destroy any lily garden and are a pest that any gardener should keep an eye out for. They will eat leaves, buds, and flowers of nearly all the Lilium species.
Here on our farm, we have hundreds of lilies, which is why we are extremely cautious and careful when it comes to lily beetle prevention. Lily Beetles love moist and cool environments. An example of this is underneath the leaves, or plant material that gathers at the end of the season on your garden. Lily beetles will make these their home and lay eggs which turn into larvae which eventually turn into beetles. To effectively disrupt this life cycle, we have started spreading Diatomaceous earth around all our lilies. We spread it right at the beginning of the season and reapply a couple times throughout. Diatomaceous earth is a natural substance made up of fossilized remains of tiny aquatic organisms. What makes it effective as a pest control is that it causes insects to dry out and die when they absorb the product. Diatomaceous earth has sharp edges (for insects it's sharp... for us it's just a powder). These sharp edges are abrasive for insects and larvae and speeds up the drying process for pests.
Using Diatomaceous earth around all our Lilium plants is our number one way of preventing the destruction of what lily beetles can do. This is because if properly applied, the beetles never have a chance of establishing themselves and their larvae die when they hatch. Occasionally a beetle will fly into our gardens from somewhere else. When this happens and we either see damage or the beetle themselves we kill them. For the most part this is just a couple beetles per season and usually only means a few damaged flowers. Handpicking the beetles off the plants and removing their tan or red coloured eggs found on the underside of the leaves is the best way to get rid of the beetles that fly into your garden.
By keeping a constant handle on the bugs, we have been able to maintain a healthy garden of Lilies. Each new lily we plant is rinsed in a bleach solution as to not bring in beetles, eggs, or larvae from another source, and so far, we have been very lucky! Hopefully, this helps you grow and enjoy lilies without the threat of lily beetles. It's important for population control that everyone to do their part in eliminating these beetles, and with luck and some diatomaceous earth maybe someday we won't have to deal with them anymore.
M
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