It may be tiny and it may look harmless, but that red lily beetle is voracious. You can see this tiny red insect in the gardens from April ‘til June, and, sometimes in September.
Red lily beetle will chew-up every leaf and petal of lily, but it also likes the taste of some other flowers, leaving behind large holes. It will chew the leaves from the edge in rounded shape, and this leaves will dry eventually and fall.
Red lily beetle is a prolific insect and can multiply up to 3 generations per year. The female deposits even 300 red, cylindrical eggs. If you carefully examine the plant you will find them on the underside of the leaves. You have to destroy them as soon as you find them because the larvae hatch after a few days and they also feed on the tissue of the leaves, causing serious damage. When it’s well developed, the red lily beetle larvae will crawl to the ground, where it turns into a stern, and then, after another two weeks, the red beetle will appear.
The adult red beetle has a keratinous layer and is quite difficult to combat it. It’s best to check the plants periodically and intervene as soon as you notice a pest or larvae on the leaves. The eggs deposited on the plant can be removed with a tissue or a cloth.
When the attack is massive and you can’t deal with the invasion, use insecticides. Be sure to follow the steps and dosage indicated on the label.
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How to get rid of red lily beetle
Non-chemical control
Well, you can effectively get rid of red leaf beetle by hand-picking them. You can begin the search red lily beetle in early spring and drag each bug into a container with soapy water. Don’t leave the beetle on the ground because it will create a new path to the climb up to plant’s bulb.
This hand de-bugging job can be done once a week and you’ll prevent a red lily invasion.
Chemical control
Purchase a spray with Imidacloprid substance (it’s found in various insecticides) and apply it directly to the soil in early spring.
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