Lily beetles are small red insects that appear on the leaves and stems of lilies, and they have the unfortunate habit of gobbling up entire plants within days. Follow our instructions to make sure that your lilies are safe!

Lily beetles aren’t a new phenomenon, but they are becoming more prevalent as our winters become milder and our summers are drier; lily beetles overwinter in the ground, and colder weather will kill off the pests, while dry summers produce lilies that are more susceptible to pests and other harmful conditions. That combination of mild winters and dry summers means that there are more beetles overall, and lilies are often a readily available food source. Many of our customers are worried because they’ve never seen them before, and the lily beetles seem to be everywhere all at once. It is certainly disheartening to see a once-beautiful lily garden decimated almost overnight, but we have the tools and knowledge you need to help beat these annoying pests!

‍

1.

As soon as the spring weather arrives, start monitoring your lily plants for the small red insects. They are going to appear early and start laying eggs on the undersides of leaves as early as May. Eggs will appear almost like tan-coloured lines, turning orange and then bright red right before hatching. If you can catch them as soon as they arrive, you can prevent a world of trouble later.

‍

2.

Apply Bug-X Out to the areas around your lilies. Be sure to apply to the leaves, the stems, as well as the ground around the lilies. Home remedies are not recommended for the treatment of lily beetles as they are likely to be ineffective.

• To prevent contamination of water sources, apply when there is no rain in the forecast, and do not spray near drains, ponds, or water features.
• To protect bees and other pollinators, spray only on plants without flowers; if your lilies have flowers already, cut the flowers off to prevent damage to our beneficial insects, like bees and butterflies! Bees are less active in the evening and at night, so I’ve had luck applying Bug X Out at twilight.

‍

3.

Once you have applied the product around the lilies, till up the soil with a rake or hoe and spray the soil once more. This will help to ensure that any beetles hiding under the layers of soil will also be hit with the application.

‍

4.

Re-apply every 7 days for at least three weeks, or until you no longer see any signs of the bugs or their damage. This part is important: the life cycle of the beetle is approximately a week, so you need to re-apply weekly to ensure that you are treating the pests that missed the previous application.

‍

5.

While all of this is going on, be sure to give your lilies the star treatment! Ensuring that your lilies are healthy helps them to use their own immunity to fight off additional damage. Water your lilies well during dry spells, and be sure to apply a floral fertilizer, such as a 15-30-15. However, any fertilizer that is formulated for flowers is going to give you great results, so use a product that suits you!

‍

6.

You can also spray the soil again in the fall after the lilies are spent. Spray the surface of the soil, then till the area and spray again.

‍

‍

Treating lily beetles requires a keen eye and a hefty dose of prevention! Be sure to keep an eye on your lilies and use the recommended products to help treat these pests.