Aphrodite Virused

This spring I planted 3 Asiatic Aphrodite bulbs that I got from The Lily Pad and then prompty forgot about them. Yesterday I noticed a small bloom among my Katheryn Adelle Geraniums and upon closer inspection found a lily stem about 9 inches high, very deformed and the bloom had the classic look of a mosaic virus. I also found an unusual looking beetle that was yellow with black stripes. I dug up the bulb and found it infested with larvae. The other two bulbs did not come up and I have not dug for them yet.

I can't say for sure, but I suspect that these bulbs came infected from the grower. I had some old lawn and garden insect killer in the garage and spayed with that, but I suspect if was too old and watered down to do much good. I'll be stopping by HD today to buy a new supply and will be giving that area a good dousing. All my other stems look nice and healthy, so hopefully it is just these bulbs. I've identified the beetle as a Striped Cucumber Beetle and here is the info I found about it.

Striped Cucumber Beetle (Acalymma vittata): Adults are yellowish with 3 black stripes, 1/5 inch long, and feed on the foliage of cucurbits; this beetle transmits bacterial wilt of cucurbits and the cucumber mosaic virus. Larvae are white, slender, around 1/3 inch long, and feed on roots and underground parts of stems.

I will be adopting Inanda's practice of soaking bulbs in a 10% Clorex solution from now on.

Well, that's not a very good picture. Here's the link to the Beetle page:

http://www.uga.edu/vegetable/beetles.html

Oh Beaker, that is terrible! I'm so sorry that happed to you. I know I'll be cloroxing everything from now on though. It seems you can't be too careful nowadays. That is just heartbreaking. I hope the virus doesn't spread to your other lilies.

Kelly in OK

I'd be contacting the seller. I have done business with them before and they have always replaced bulbs as all good sellers do.

I did and they did offer to refund me, but I'm not sure it is their fault. I just suspect that is where it came from. The 3 bulbs were only 2.99, so I told them they didn't have to and they said they would keep an eye out for any other problems. You'd think if it was from bugs visiting my garden, there would be more widespread damage and not with three of the same variety of bulbs. If it was more money, I would of taken them up on it.