I can tell when spring is in full force in many different ways.
What are scarlet lily beetles?
As their name suggests, scarlet lily beetles love to dine on the leaves of lilies.
Photograph by Hobbs_Luton via Flickr.
Scarlet lily beetles are small half-inch-long beetles that are bright red, scarlet to be exact, on top and black on the bottom. Only true lilies in the Liliaceae family, such as asiatic lilies and fritillaria, are affected, but not daylilies which are in a different plant family.
Why are they a problem?
Photograph by Mikael F. via Flickr.
Unlike most other plants, lilies grow only one set of leaves a year, and once they are gone, they are gone for the year.
Scarlet lily beetles are sneaky. With any disturbance, their defensive response is to very quickly fall off the leaf and land on their back on the ground.
The larvae of scarlet lily beetles carry their poop on their backs to make them less appealing to birds.
Photograph by Nikk via Flickr.
How do you control them?
To control an infestation of scarlet lily beetles, you’ll have to eradicate their eggs.