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Hi, I have had a very large collection of lilies for the last 20 years, but it has been devastated by lily beetle for the last 2 seasons. I have a daily routine of checking the the beetles but I’ll have to destroy about 1/3 of my collection this year. I’m reluctant to replace my destroyed lilies with new lily bulbs. If I replace them with other summer bulbs such as Crinum, Eucomis, Hymenocallis and Liatris, will these be affected by lily beetle.
Regards
Mike Wain
Good news! None of these varieties will attract the lily beetle.
Do you have Fritiallaria (Crown Imperials)? If so, these also attract the Lily Beetle unfortunately.
The lily beetle doesn’t affect the condition of the bulb or the flower, it just makes the foliage look unsightly, so you won’t need to destroy your lilies. Leave them to flower and die back this year. I would maybe try planting a Garlic bulb alongside your lily bulbs. This has been reported to be quite successful against lily beetles. Also, we do sell a lily beetle repellent that you could try for next season.
Lily Beetle Prevention (SKU17972)
The Hart Family
