llies and bugs

[mutantpoodle]

I have read as many articles as i can on the red bugs that are (have) eaten my lillies
I believe i understand situation

but

now most of the leaves are gone, been eaten, is it an idea to lift and clean the bulbs then wait for re planting in October..ish
or should i leave in pots despite the bugs still being around?

many articles give info but none cover this question

obviously what i do NOT want is for the bulbs to suffer and therefor be no good for next year

????

[UncleIan]

now most of the leaves are gone, been eaten, is it an idea to lift and clean the bulbs then wait for re planting in October..ish
or should i leave in pots despite the bugs still being around?

obviously what i do NOT want is for the bulbs to suffer and therefor be no good for next year

Well, the bulbs are already not going to do great because most of the leaves are gone, so the bulb won't get fed. Personally, having battled this before, it was a religious squashing of the red lily beetle every time I saw one that got things back on an even keel. I'd leave the bulbs where they are, less disturbance less stress, so bulb should do better.

[Breelander]

... is it an idea to lift and clean the bulbs then wait for re planting in October..ish
or should i leave in pots despite the bugs still being around?
...obviously what i do NOT want is for the bulbs to suffer and therefor be no good for next year

Relax, the bulbs are about the one thing that they don't eat.

...older grubs eat entire leaves, starting at the tips and working back to the stem, they will also feed on petals, stem and seed pods
Adult beetles make rounded holes in the leaves and will also feed on petals and seed pods

Moving the bulbs isn't going to help, as...

Red lily beetle overwinters as adult beetles in soil, leaf litter and other sheltered places. This could be anywhere, not necessarily in the vicinity of lilies...

The best course of action is to leave the bulbs undisturbed, then search-and-destroy the adults and any eggs they may lay starting next spring.

The beetles begin emerging on sunny days in late March and April when they seek out the foliage of host plants.
Eggs are laid in small batches on the underside of leaves during April to mid-summer.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=553

[mutantpoodle]

many thanks both

the lillies are already overcrowded in their pots and will definitely have to be re potted for next year

hence question is it worth lifting now, dumping the 'infected' soil and allowing complete cleaning of the bulbs before repotting
the articles i read all suggest larvae etc in the soil so hard to remove until 'red' and obvious
so i thought maybe clean bulbs, clean pots and new soil might be an idea

lilly bulbs appear to have no particular season (well not the ones I have)
I bought some in a street market in Portugal in June and potted up when i got back last days of June
they are all (5) now 18 inches high and just coming to flower...just under 5 weeks!

i am keeping well away from others with the bugs!!

[Breelander]

the lillies are already overcrowded in their pots and will definitely have to be re potted for next year
hence question is it worth lifting now...

Well, the time to do that is not now, wait until the autumn when the bulbs will be fully dormant. Beetles don't eat the bulbs so they will be safe for now...

Re-pot in autumn when the foliage dies down, or transfer bulbs to the garden...

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=459

...the articles i read all suggest larvae etc in the soil so hard to remove until 'red' and obvious so i thought maybe clean bulbs, clean pots and new soil might be an idea..

It's only the adults that overwinter in the soil, but remember what the RHS said...

This could be anywhere, not necessarily in the vicinity of lilies...

[mutantpoodle]

all noted and again my thanks

pesky blighters aren't they!

[Breelander]

pesky blighters aren't they!

Indeed! And difficult to catch, I was forever picking them off my mum's lillies. The slightest disturbance (even a shadow) and the adult beetles drop to the ground and hide. Persistence (and a hand beneath the leaf to catch them) pays off in the end.