The lilies are planted. The impatient longing for the flowers will soon come to an end. But what is that? The leaves are eaten and the lilies look pitiful. What's going on here?
What pests attack lilies and how can you combat them?
The most common pests of lilies are the lily, thrips and aphids. To combat them, you can remove beetles and larvae by hand, treat the plant with water, wormwood tea, soap solution, rock dust or algae lime, and spread coffee grounds around the root area.
A dreaded pest: the lily chicken
Its red wings make it difficult for the lily-tailed chicken to hide. It really catches the eye when it sits on the green foliage of a lily. It is a black-headed beetle that grows between 6 and 8 mm and is considered extremely stubborn. Lily lovers fear him
Eat lilies bare
The beetles and larvae eat the leaves bare. They are responsible for the fact that some lilies do not bloom or die despite adequate watering and fertilization. The beetle itself is less serious. It's more his larvae.
Entire colonies are formed to mate happily
The lily hen lays its orange-red eggs on the undersides of the leaves. The larvae hatch after 6 days. While the young larvae scrape the undersides of the leaves, the older larvae eat the leaves from the tip.
The bad thing: The lily chickens love to mate. Up to four generations of these animals can develop within one summer! They feel like they are in paradise on lilies and don't stop eating until the lily dies.
Fighting the pest
You can recognize the beetles by their red color. The larvae are colored orange-black. But because they cover themselves with their own feces, they appear gray. It is best to check your lilies for this pest at regular intervals from April until September.
The following measures can help with infestation:
- Collect beetles, larvae and clutches by hand
- Wash away larvae with water jet
- Spray the plant with wormwood tea, soap solution, rock dust or algae lime
- Spread coffee grounds around the root area
- chemical control agents usually do not work
Other pests
Even the best lily care does not help against pests such as thrips and aphids. Voles, snails and nematodes can also damage the plant. If such pests are at work, the known control methods help against them.
Tips & Tricks
Even lilies in pots are not safe from pests. Especially weakened plants on the balcony can quickly be attacked by aphids.
