The leaves of water lilies can occupy the entire surface of the water. In between, the pretty flowers appear in summer, making the pond a holiday home for insects. But some insects cause considerable damage!
How do you fight the lily pad beetle?
The lily pad beetle lays eggs on lily pads, which hatch into voracious larvae that eat holes in the leaves. Infected floating leaves should be removed and disposed of to destroy larvae and clutches and to prevent damage to water lilies.
The lily leaf beetle – voracious larvae
It is less the beetle that harms the water lily. Rather, it is its larvae that eat the leaves. The lily leaf beetle lays its numerous eggs on the upper side of the leaves of the water lily. The newly hatched larvae are very hungry and immediately attack the leaves. They are so voracious that they eat holes in the leaves.
You can recognize the eggs by their yellow-brown color. The clutches look square. They are around 2 mm in diameter. After a few days the larvae hatched. Here are further identifying features:
- first cockroach corrosion, later pitting
- The flowers are rarely affected
- Beetles: 6 to 8 mm long, gray-brown in color
- Larvae: dark brown and yellowish underneath
- Infestation from May
Identifying and combating water lily aphids
Water lily aphids can also plague the plants. They like to attack all parts of plants. But they prefer to suck on the underside of the leaves (floating leaves) and the stems. The leaves get light spots and curl due to the sucking of the lice.
You can recognize the water lily aphids by their dark green to black color. They are 1 to 2 mm long. They should definitely be fought because: Their excreted honeydew clogs the stomata of the leaves. This means that fungal diseases can spread unhindered. Here are 3 combat options:
- Stripping
- Waterjet
- Horsetail broth
Other pests on water lilies
There are other pests whose feeding can cause water lilies to stop growing or to grow worse:
- Water lily borer: Larva of a water butterfly, 2.5 cm long, green and later gray, eats leaves
- Pointed mud snail: eat leaves and stems from March onwards, like to lay eggs
- Mosquitoes: Larvae eat the leaves, from March
Tip
If you are infested with the lily pad beetle, you can collect the affected floating leaves and dispose of them. In addition, the larvae are killed and the clutches are destroyed.
