Preventing red beetles from attacking lilies

How do I prevent red beetles from devouring my asiatic and oriental lilies?

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**FULL QUESTION** Dear *Gardening Life*, My asiatic and oriental lilies are being devoured by those little red beetles. What can I do to get rid of them? *—Sherry Foden*

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**FULL ANSWER** Sherry, These are lily leaf beetles (*Lilioceris lilii*), a destructive European import that seems to be marching inexorably across Canada. There is little on the market for eradicating them. Hand-picking and squishing is the only sure solution. Also, search for and destroy the orange egg clusters laid in April and May on the undersides of the leaves, as well as the slug-like, black-coated larvae that feed on the leaves in May and June. Phil Reilly of Reilly Country Gardens in Ottawa reports that neem oil is effective but only on the larvae, not the adult beetles. Spray in early morning or late evening to avoid affecting beneficials such as ladybugs and honey bees. Lily leaf beetles winter over in the soil and surface debris so clean up areas where you suspect they may be lurking. If you’re acquiring new lilies, buy them as bulbs rather than potted plants, which may have beetles in the soil. Good luck, *—Marjorie Harris, Editor at Large, and Linda Gilkeson* Other questions recently answered by the GL team: Planting under maple trees Discouraging cats from your garden Hints for growing sweet bell peppers Buying exotic plants in Toronto Preventing brown leaf spot Information on peony-flowered poppies Tips for growing tulips and lilies When to move irises Maintaining blue spruces The best way to grow gunneras Getting rid of sawfly larvae on roses Eliminating earwigs from clematis flowers Beetle damage to spruce trees Removing whiteflies from hibiscus leaves Building a cactus garden Maintaining redbud trees Maintaining Boston ivy growth Using black walnut leaves for mulch Stopping powdery mildew on maples Planting trees near a swale Growing on a septic field How to battle weeds between flagstone and alternative options Mysterious orange powder on the lawn What to do with end-of-season potatoes on the vine How to control Japanese knotweed What to grow in a dry area The proper way to plant astrantia What is the star flower and how do I manage it? How do I eliminate my ant problem?

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