how to get rid of

could you tell me the best way to get  rid of lily beetles.and if they come from the bulbs,i had some lilys  that have just finised so i was turning the soil  over and found them in the soil 

You will never completely eradicate this pest- as you have found out they hide in the soil where they over-winter- as well as on the plants-you can control them to a certain extent by picking of my hand or using Provado Ultimate Bug Killer

This is interesting from the RHS-tells you all you need to know

http://www.rhs.org.uk/science/plant-pests/lily-beetle

The red beetles overwinter in the soil. They emerge in the Spring, and find their way to the lilies, and then breed a new generation of beetles.

Most people deal with lily beetles by killing the creatures when they are on the plants. There are several thread on the forum about this, although these only talk about killing the beetles and their lavae on the plants.

For example:
http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/talkback/talkback-dealing-with-lily-beetle/3240.html

The best thing might be to remove any that you can find in the soil, manually.

You could lift the bulbs and replant elswhere, so you would may able to clean the soil more thoroughly. But beetles could be hiding in the soil in just about any part of your garden, or possibly not even in the soil.

The best thing is to kill any that you see, anywhere, and keep a look out for the beetles on the growing plants next Spring.

My husband has grown lilies in pots this year, and checked them, killing the lily beetles he found, on a daily basis.    He is keeping them in the pots to overwinter, hoping they will flower again next year.    Does this mean he will be preserving the lily beetles too?

Personally, I gave up on lilies several years ago, as the continual checking for these beetles became too much of a chore.    They are one of my husband's favourite flowers.

I've got about 15 pots of lilies and I check them most days and destroy any I find.I also water them with bug killer at about this time of year and spray to kill any larvae several times during the season. They are a pest but if you want the pleasure of lilies I'm afraid you have to be vigilant. I no longer grow them in the soil as I find it more difficult to control pests this way. They should flower again next year. I replenish the top 2 to 3 inches of compost with new material and every few years take the new little bulbsand replant for new lilies.

gardengirl6 wrote (see)

My husband has grown lilies in pots this year, and checked them, killing the lily beetles he found, on a daily basis.    He is keeping them in the pots to overwinter, hoping they will flower again next year.    Does this mean he will be preserving the lily beetles too?.

Growing lilies in pots is a good idea. They will certainly flower the next year, and should be even better.

It's possible that beetles may be in the soil in the pots, although if he's been checking the plants during the Summer, then the chances of that are very slim.

Beetles could be overwintering absolutely anywhere, so it doesn't really make sense to try to hunt the beetles in the soil.

Even if anyone was able to get rid of them from the soil, that wouldn't make a lot of difference because the flying beetles find the plants by smell, and more will very easily fly in from surrounding gardens come next Spring.

Looking out for the red beetles, and their black lavae, on the plants in Spring and during the Summer is the best and most effective control.

Thanks for the advice - I'll tell my husband to just leave the bulbs in the pots for the winter.    It is such a pretty beetle, but we shall just have to continue the war next year!