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For many hobby gardeners, lilies are an absolute must in the garden, because their majestic flowers are a real eye-catcher. They are also among those plants that are actually very robust against diseases and pests. Yes, actually, if it weren't for the lily cockerel that puts an abrupt end to the splendor. But don't worry, you can also fight the lily beetle successfully.
The red beetle
The lily beetle, also known as the lily beetle, is a beetle six to eight millimeters in size. Its scientific name is Lilioceris lilii. With its bright red body color and black head and legs, it stands out on the green leaves of the lilies.
eating behavior
Lilioceris lilii taste all parts of the plants. He spares only the underground parts. And if it is not fought, it can even eat up the plant. The damage caused by the beetle is particularly great if it settles in at the beginning of the shoot. That's why it can happen that the little nuisance shows up as early as April. As the name suggests, the red beetle prefers to eat lilies, and here it particularly likes the hybrid species. Chives, garlic and vegetable onions are also on his menu.
Lily beetle and its larvae
In the case of the lily beetle, it is not only the adult beetles that pose a threat to plants, but also their yellow-brown, slimy larvae. Since the larva is even more voracious than the adult lily beetle, it causes even more damage, because a larva eats its way through the plant for four weeks.
Tricks of the lily beetle and larvae
Lilioceris lilii uses various tricks to escape from its enemies. The larvae carry their droppings on their backs to protect them from predators. When disturbed, the lily beetles simply drop to the ground, but in such a way that they land on their bright red backs. And so the search for a black beetle on black soil is usually not crowned with great success.
Fight
While the red lily beetle is a real nuisance, don't use chemical batons to fight it as there are some effective alternatives.
collecting and collecting
Even if it disgusts some, collecting the lily beetle is still the safest way to get rid of the pest. It is important that you also take the voracious larvae and the eggs of the beetle with you when you collect them. For the lily beetle, gathering is a disruption in its day. And he uses the fall to the ground trick. Since this trick cannot be avoided, you should take advantage of it:
- put a container under the plant
- put a light-colored fleece under the plant
The dark side of the lily beetle's stomach is of no use as camouflage and you can easily collect the pests.
tip: You can also intentionally disturb the lily bugs to make them drop.
The best time to collect the pest is in the early hours of the morning, because then it is not very mobile.
fight larvae
To free the lilies from the larvae, it is best to use a strong jet of water to wash them off the plant.
tip: The larvae can no longer make it up or back, they are too immobile for that.
home remedies
With larger groups of plants, collecting is not only tedious, but also not very effective. Therefore, in this case, you should resort to home remedies that drive away the pest.
Mixture of soap and alcohol
A proven household remedy is a mixture of soap, alcohol and water. To do this, mix a teaspoon of soap with 200 milliliters of spirit and one liter of water. Then the lilies are sprayed with this mixture. This will drive away the lily beetles and kill their larvae.
tip: You can achieve the same effect with a mixture of ethanol, soft soap and water.
nettle manure
Nettle manure, also called nettle broth, also helps to combat the lily beetle, because the pest does not like spraying with nettle manure at all. For the nettle manure, mix 250g of dried nettles and one kilogram of fresh nettles with ten liters of water. After that, cover the container and let the mixture stand for at least 24 hours.
When the liquid manure is ready, the lilies are sprayed with it undiluted. To protect the plants, you should spray in the sun. Spraying when it rains is also completely ineffective. In order for the nettle broth to work, the plants must be sprayed several times.
tip: The addition of rock flour should help against the stench.
tansy broth
A tansy broth also drives away the lily chicken. To make them, boil 100g of dried flowers in three liters of water. After the brew has cooled, it must be strained. After that, you can spray the plants with the broth. As with nettle manure, you should also pay attention to the weather conditions and repeat the treatment several times.
Neem or neem oil
Spraying with neem oil does not help against adult lily beetles, but against voracious ones larva of the beetle. Because the neem oil disturbs the hormone balance of the larvae, so they can no longer pupate.
coffee grounds
Place coffee grounds under the plants to drive away the lily beetle. They don't like that at all.
algae lime and rock powder
Dusting the plants with algae lime and rock flour also helps against the lily beetle. It is important that the dust also reaches the underside of the leaf. To make it easier for him to get there, make a powder puff out of a piece of pantyhose. Then gently tap the underside of the leaf with it.
notice: It is not possible to say in advance which of the home remedies mentioned will help best against Lilioceris lilii. Therefore, you should try different means.
predators
You can also get help from nature when fighting the pest, because the red lily beetle does not have as few predators as you might think. So team up with birds, hedgehogs, shrews or the predatory beetle by offering them a species-appropriate environment.
