Yup, Neem works, I sprayed it the other day and haven't seen one since. Even if they do lay eggs they won't hatch. Didn't burn the leaves either.
What to do about the beetle
I use this..... http://www.bayeradvanced.com/product/Dual-Action-Rose-Flower-Insect-Killer/rtu.html
But I understand that some of you can not use it in your State.such as New York. I spray the ground and the lily as soon as it emerges from the ground.
This message was edited May 15, 2008 8:17 PM
Also, it doesn't meet the strict requirements to be sold in Canada...
I figured there would be more that couldn't buy it. Sorry....it works great.
Don't be sorry, there have been times when I have thought seriously of trying to smuggle some in ^_^
LOL I hear ya!!
buzz buzz buzz! Where would we be without bees??
In BIG trouble.
My dad used to keep honey bees, and I can remember when I was a child how he used to defend them (long before he kept hives).
It's a good thing we are much more aware of the damage caused by insecticides. We don't always realize that the things used to kill the pests also kill our beneficial insects as well.
Who knows what harm we are also doing to ourselves! But hey, I resort to the powerhouses, too. I just try to keep them restricted to the houseplants where I have a controlled environment. Not always the best, but when natural doesn't work, I kick it up a notch.
Momasita! I lived at Sprout Creek Farm in LaGrange NY right near you! and just shot an episode of Rescue Chef on Rodeo Dr in HJ..small world. Anyhoo..we want to start some bee hives. Is you Dad around for some sage advice?
Yeah RAIN!!! Love the sound of those drops on the skylight...
Hi abbyday! It definitely is a small world! We live just off the TSP and have been here for almost 25 years.
My dad stopped keeping bees quite a few years ago. My limited knowledge probably wouldn't be much help either, as he took up the hobby after I was grown. He kept them because of the apple orchards across the road from his home in New Paltz. I can still remember him telling the story about how he'd get a phone call from the post office to come and get the bees that had arrived in the mail for him!
I was active in the Fishkill Creek Watershed Committee until a few years ago. The Sprout Creek is one of the tertiary creeks to the Fishkill. How long ago was it you lived there?
And yes, I am very happy that we got some rain! It will do wonders for everything as long as it doesn't keep up for too many days.
You have to look for eggs too. by the time you spot adults in early spring, they will have done the deed together and the female has laid eggs on the underside of a lily leaf. These are orange and kind of laid in a row. I just squish em or remove the leaf. If they get to the larval stage, they have already decimated my lily plant.
Lily beetles have so much fun with the few lilies I have that they don't bother my hosta. that's what slugs are for. ge1836, are you sure that this isn't what is doing your hosta in? I have hosta all around several of my stargazer lilies and they never bother them. I do have to keep an eye out for slugs. I have lots of stone borders and sluggies do love their "condos made of stonah".
Martha
Good morning I read about the Hosta in the article I Hyperlinked a few posts back. Lilly beethes also go for solomon's seal.
No slugs on hosta here yet.
The lily beetle does not touch my hostas, or Solomen's Seal and doesn't attack my asiatic lilies like it does the rest of my lilies.
Hello Everyone,
Something I have done the past few years (I try not to use chemicals as we are on a well) is this.
I tend to go to the garden every morning with my coffee in hand.
Once the lilies start to come up, I watch for ANY black "gunk" on the bottom of the leaves.
Once I see black "gunk", I remove that leaf and make a pile of these leaves every morning.
Then I literally "do the twist" with my shoes on and grind those leaves up into nothing *lol*
I find this really cuts down on the population. Last year I think I had maybe 15 mature beetles.
The mature beetles I just take my gloves (can't do it with my bare hands) and touch them with my left hand, catch them with my right and smash *lol*
You could also catch them in a glass jar filled with bleach/water and cap when through :)
Another thing I do (this is where I DO use chemicals) is right now the trees are filled with gypsy moth catepillars and nests. I bought 2 cans of the black hornet Raid and went around and sprayed every nest. Not one catepillar crawling today. My neighbor always wonders why his house is covered with the catepillars and ours isn't *lol* Raid to the rescue. I really despise gypsy moths can you tell? *lol*
As far as Japanese beetles? Adopt a skunk *lol* We have a family that live under our shed and have for a few years now. I really kind of like them out there. They don't bother us and it's amazing how many Japanese beetle grubs they eat in a night *lol* I still have to hand "squash" a few but not many :)
I know, not much help but this is how I do it *lol* I also dig every single dandelion out of my grass by hand so if that tells you anything *lol*
Kim
This message was edited May 17, 2008 7:34 AM
"It's right if it works"