If you grow lilies, it is likely you’ve seen the red lily beetle. These beetles will defoliate and ultimately kill all true lilies such as Asiatic, Oriental, Turk’s Cap and as well as spring flowering Fritillarias (daylilies are safe).
**Origin:** This pest is native to Europe and Asia and although it has been present in Montreal since 1945, it has only become a problem in south eastern Ontario in the last couple decades.
**Description:** This beetle is unmistakable, the adults are ½” long and bright red in colour. As soon as the lilies start growing in the spring these beasts begin to feast on the leaves as well as the flower buds as they form.
The adults will lay bright red eggs on the undersides of the leaves (each female producing 250-400 eggs) which hatch in 4-8 days. The larvae are brown and resemble slugs, they feed on the undersides of the leaves and then move to the top, this stage lasts for 16-24 days. Once adults, the cycle continues as they feast and search for mates, they hide just under the soil surface which is also where they overwinter.
**Control:** Unfortunately because this pest is not native to our country there are no natural predators to control their population. There are also no current pesticides for this particular insect.
For those who only have less than a dozen lilies in your garden I find hand picking is the most productive way of control. I myself have a few spring flowering Fritillarias and I find I can keep the lily beetle population under control with just 5 minutes of pest management twice a week (or whenever you take a walk through your garden). Eliminating the egg masses and insect larvae drastically improve plant health. If no control is taken the red lily beetle will ultimately kill your plants so for those who don’t want maintenance, you might want to rethink planting these.
Unfortunately if you want to grow lilies this beastly insect will most likely become an unwanted resident in your garden, however, that being said I have never let this discourage me from having my own small collection. Lilies are truly a beautiful species and are a classic plant to add to any garden.
Cheers,
Andrea Weddum
*Post contributed by Andrea Weddum, Landscape Designer*
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