Scarlet Lily Beatle

Earlier this week I was lucky enough (or unlucky enough depending on your viewpoint) to snap this picture of one of these insects. Predictably it was munching its way through a Lily!

These beatles are relatively recent to Ireland, with the first reported sightings in 2009.

They really are a very pretty colour, but they will munch their way through your Lilies, Giant Lilies and Fritillaries as well as Solomon’s Seal! They are classified as an invasive species, although with early detection and control measures in your garden, they can be effectively handled.

Thankfully, their beautiful scarlet colour makes them quite easy to spot, although eggs on the underside of leaves are less blatant.

If you need to control these in your garden there are a number of options open to you. It depends on how large a patch of Lilies you have, how much time you have, and your personal view of pesticide usage.

Organic: Pick off the adults and the grubs, making sure to crush them.

There are some organic sprays that can be quite effective, and spraying with sunflower oil also helps!

Chemical: Insecticide sprays containing Pyrethrins have been confirmed to be effective against adults.

Whichever method(s) you use, a careful eye will be needed to monitor the plants as the eggs develop into larvae and then pupae over the next month.

Flowering Lilies are magnificent, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for these colourful yet destructive little pests.