The red lily beetle have been at work, and I'm not completely mobile
at the moment. So far, my lilies haven't had a full-scale assault, but
my beloved snake's-head fritillaries have been copping it a bit. I've
caught a few and squashed them, and gone over the leaves for eggs and
larvae; but it occurs to me that the fritillaries are pretty near over
anyway, with seed pods fairly well developed and many leaves looking
tired. So I'm going to cut them off and dispose of the little sods'
food supply. How sensitive are snake's-heads to cutting down before
they die down naturally?

--
Mike.

On Wed, 25 May 2011 19:31:30 +0100, Mike Lyle
wrote:

The red lily beetle have been at work, and I'm not completely mobile
at the moment. So far, my lilies haven't had a full-scale assault, but
my beloved snake's-head fritillaries have been copping it a bit. I've
caught a few and squashed them, and gone over the leaves for eggs and
larvae; but it occurs to me that the fritillaries are pretty near over
anyway, with seed pods fairly well developed and many leaves looking
tired. So I'm going to cut them off and dispose of the little sods'
food supply. How sensitive are snake's-heads to cutting down before
they die down naturally?

I've always understood it to be essential to let the foliage die back
naturally (though I lop the heads off) - one reason I don't grow them
in grass is the advice not to mow until the foliage has had it. I've
checked my reference books and any that talk about post flowering
treatment refer to not cutting the foliage until summer when it has
completely died back.

I believe this is down to the fact that the plant effectively eats its
bulb during the flowering period and then starts to create a new bulb
and so needs the dying foliage more than, say, a narcissus or a tulip.

Lily beetle are the main obstacle to my going fully organic - I use
Provado Ultimate Bug killer on lilies now. As long as you're careful
when you spray (it kills ladybirds, bees etc as well) it's then
absorbed by the plant and will continue to kill the little red things
once they chomp a bit of leaf. Alternatively, Toby Buckland says that
he's found that a product called SB Plant Invigorator (also sold by
QVC under the Flower Power brand) kills lily beetle among other
nasties and it's organic.

On 25/05/2011 20:11, Jake wrote:
On Wed, 25 May 2011 19:31:30 +0100, Mike Lyle
wrote:

The red lily beetle have been at work, and I'm not completely mobile
at the moment. So far, my lilies haven't had a full-scale assault, but
my beloved snake's-head fritillaries have been copping it a bit. I've
caught a few and squashed them, and gone over the leaves for eggs and
larvae; but it occurs to me that the fritillaries are pretty near over
anyway, with seed pods fairly well developed and many leaves looking
tired. So I'm going to cut them off and dispose of the little sods'
food supply. How sensitive are snake's-heads to cutting down before
they die down naturally?

I've always understood it to be essential to let the foliage die back
naturally (though I lop the heads off) - one reason I don't grow them
in grass is the advice not to mow until the foliage has had it. I've
checked my reference books and any that talk about post flowering
treatment refer to not cutting the foliage until summer when it has
completely died back.

I believe this is down to the fact that the plant effectively eats its
bulb during the flowering period and then starts to create a new bulb
and so needs the dying foliage more than, say, a narcissus or a tulip.

Lily beetle are the main obstacle to my going fully organic - I use
Provado Ultimate Bug killer on lilies now. As long as you're careful
when you spray (it kills ladybirds, bees etc as well) it's then
absorbed by the plant and will continue to kill the little red things
once they chomp a bit of leaf. Alternatively, Toby Buckland says that
he's found that a product called SB Plant Invigorator (also sold by
QVC under the Flower Power brand) kills lily beetle among other
nasties and it's organic.

Note that the name Provado Ultimate Bug Killer is used for several
products. Those that contain imidacloprid alone as the active
ingredient are, in my opinion, inactive against lily beetle. To deal
with that pest you will have to use the aerosol can, which contains
methiocarb as well as imidacloprid. Even then, after a few weeks it
will be back, and you will have to spray again.

--

Jeff

On Wed, 25 May 2011 21:17:48 +0100, Jeff Layman
wrote:

On 25/05/2011 20:11, Jake wrote:
On Wed, 25 May 2011 19:31:30 +0100, Mike Lyle
wrote:

The red lily beetle have been at work, and I'm not completely mobile
at the moment. So far, my lilies haven't had a full-scale assault, but
my beloved snake's-head fritillaries have been copping it a bit. I've
caught a few and squashed them, and gone over the leaves for eggs and
larvae; but it occurs to me that the fritillaries are pretty near over
anyway, with seed pods fairly well developed and many leaves looking
tired. So I'm going to cut them off and dispose of the little sods'
food supply. How sensitive are snake's-heads to cutting down before
they die down naturally?

I've always understood it to be essential to let the foliage die back
naturally (though I lop the heads off) - one reason I don't grow them
in grass is the advice not to mow until the foliage has had it. I've
checked my reference books and any that talk about post flowering
treatment refer to not cutting the foliage until summer when it has
completely died back.

I believe this is down to the fact that the plant effectively eats its
bulb during the flowering period and then starts to create a new bulb
and so needs the dying foliage more than, say, a narcissus or a tulip.

Lily beetle are the main obstacle to my going fully organic - I use
Provado Ultimate Bug killer on lilies now. As long as you're careful
when you spray (it kills ladybirds, bees etc as well) it's then
absorbed by the plant and will continue to kill the little red things
once they chomp a bit of leaf. Alternatively, Toby Buckland says that
he's found that a product called SB Plant Invigorator (also sold by
QVC under the Flower Power brand) kills lily beetle among other
nasties and it's organic.

Note that the name Provado Ultimate Bug Killer is used for several
products. Those that contain imidacloprid alone as the active
ingredient are, in my opinion, inactive against lily beetle. To deal
with that pest you will have to use the aerosol can, which contains
methiocarb as well as imidacloprid. Even then, after a few weeks it
will be back, and you will have to spray again.

Hmmm! I use the trigger spray Provado and it works fine. Worth noting
that the trigger and concentrate versions contain the newer
thiacloprid, not imidacloprid. Thiacloprid is supposed to be effective
on its own (which it is for me anyhow) and against a wider range of
bugs.(Aside - I notice that the Gardeners' World website mentions
spraying with sunflower oil as a solution.)

All that said, I hope that anyone using Provado will read the
instructions carefully and stick by them - it is what it's called -
the "ULTIMATE bug killer". Bees, butterflies, ladybirds are all
effectively killed by the tiniest amount.

Gary wrote:
They are a pest this year!!! ?I pick them off twice a day, numbers are
diminishing!!!

My lilies were also infested with the things last year, what a mess
they make, however I have just started to keep bee's, so I was
reluctant to spray them with an insecticide.

I checked on Google, vinegar and sunflower oil were mentioned, cant
remember if it meat either or mixed, anyway I ended up mixing them and
I havnt seen one of the red devils in the last ten days, fingers
crossed !

Hmm. Has anyone tried neem oil on them? We have a sprayer full, for the
chickens. May have to give it a go.

On 26 May 2011 15:55:25 GMT, wrote:

Gary wrote:
They are a pest this year!!! ?I pick them off twice a day, numbers are
diminishing!!!

My lilies were also infested with the things last year, what a mess
they make, however I have just started to keep bee's, so I was
reluctant to spray them with an insecticide.

I checked on Google, vinegar and sunflower oil were mentioned, cant
remember if it meat either or mixed, anyway I ended up mixing them and
I havnt seen one of the red devils in the last ten days, fingers
crossed !

Hmm. Has anyone tried neem oil on them? We have a sprayer full, for the
chickens. May have to give it a go.

Many thanks to everybody. I may very well use the Provado, though I'd
much prefer not to. Neem oil, I have not got.

--
Mike.

On Wed, 25 May 2011 22:13:57 +0100, Jake Nospam@invalid wrote:


Note that the name Provado Ultimate Bug Killer is used for several
products. Those that contain imidacloprid alone as the active
ingredient are, in my opinion, inactive against lily beetle. To deal
with that pest you will have to use the aerosol can, which contains
methiocarb as well as imidacloprid. Even then, after a few weeks it
will be back, and you will have to spray again.

Hmmm! I use the trigger spray Provado and it works fine. Worth noting
that the trigger and concentrate versions contain the newer
thiacloprid, not imidacloprid. Thiacloprid is supposed to be effective
on its own (which it is for me anyhow) and against a wider range of
bugs.(Aside - I notice that the Gardeners' World website mentions
spraying with sunflower oil as a solution.)

All that said, I hope that anyone using Provado will read the
instructions carefully and stick by them - it is what it's called -
the "ULTIMATE bug killer". Bees, butterflies, ladybirds are all
effectively killed by the tiniest amount.

I have used Provado UBK to get rid of lilly beetle on our frits and it
has definitely been successful.

rbel