Lilies: Early pest controle, 1 by cathy166

cathy166 wrote:
First year my lilies have not been chewed to death. Since we've had so much rain, I have to spray again, and I think the secret is spraying the soil before they come through. I spray the plants as well.

Surprisingly, some of the lilies have striated leaves, which I think may be the result of the spinosad. It is only on a few of the oriental lilies, but fairly noticeable.

The 56 ounce sprayer bought this year at Lowe's has a pump on top. Just large enough to hold a good amount, yet light enough to handle.

Sabra, you will always have to be vigilant once they are in the garden. Picking them off does get rid of only part of the problem. They lay their eggs on the underside of the leaf, covering it with tarry excrement, so take a good look. They also lay their eggs in the soil, so the spinosad kills the larvae before they can develop. They have become pretty rampant in New England and have spread into New York state. These tricky critters don't seem to fly much. You may have noticed that when you touch them, they drop on their backs and have black undersides and are therefore more easily camouflaged. However, I am a murderer with experience.
Marcia