Orange alert, Orange alert
Yes friends, especially those who, like me, love to grow lilies and fritillaries the lily beetle is alive and well and roaming in the gardens again.
There is nothing to do about it except to be alert, catch the dreaded beasties and jump on them from a good height. My neighbours are used to what they once thought was a rain dance going on here.
Why a tea strainer? well, we all know how the orange b******* turn upside down when they drop from a plant, then you can't find them, catch it in an old tea strained (preferably not the one you use for the darjeeling or earl grey) and take the animal to a hard surface where you can do above mentioned dance. Be careful what shoes you wear, they can run away between cleats on boots and wellies.
No beastie killer deals with them, in spite of what is said on the bottle, except really nasty chemicals that I imagine most of us would hesitate to use in our gardens.
So as I say, it's Orange Alert time.
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My lily beetles are bright red - not orange Is there another type?