my Stargazer Lilies are getting eaten!

[ESMcLane]

I've noticed this red bug eating the leaves of the lily- I tried killing the bug & another came back. there is only 1 bug on there that I can see.

I have this rose & flower bug stuff that I was thinking about spraying on the leaves- is that safe? I don't know how to get rid of this pesky red bug.

I can take pictures if that's helpful.

thanks

[MaineDesigner]

It is the Lily Leaf Beetle. I hand pick them on my own lilies but I've eliminated lilies from my plantings for clients. Anything you have to spray to ensure survival is a non-starter for me.

The beetle larvae are way creepier than the beetles. They coat themselves in their own excrement to avoid predation.

I suspect what you have is Bayer Rose & Flower Insect Spray. The good news is that it will kill the beetle but that bad news is that it will also kill beneficial insects like pollinators. Personally I would not use imidacloprid (the active ingredient) insecticides on any flowering plant. I believe it is now banned in Germany.

[ESMcLane]

thank you. I ended up spraying the Bayer insect spray- there were so many lily leaf beetles on there I had to do something before they kill the plant. Hopefully it works and it doesn't repel other "good" insects.