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Scarlet beetles (6mm - 8mm long) with black heads eat the leaves, flowers and seedpods of lilies and other members of the lily family. Don't mistake them for ladybirds. Between April and September the beetles lay eggs on the undersides of leaves

, seem to be around in remarkably similar numbers. In my garden it's business as usual: lily beetles have been feasting on my lilies, while scale insects appear to have increased in number.But where are the aphids? We’re now into mid-July and I

pot just outside the front door had been nibbled. We get lily beetles occasionally but when I bent down to pick up this red insect it turned out to be a striking black and red plant bug and not a beetle at all (see pic). Corizus hyoscyami doesn't have

Learn how to divide and pot on congested day lilies by following Chris Beardshaw's video advice.spring and autumnCaring for liliesPlanting lily bulbs in a potDeadheading liliesRemoving lily beetles from plantsDealing with lily mouldBrowse a variety

bulbsLarge potsCompostMarch - April20 minutesJuly - AugustHalf-fill a large pot with compost, add five or six lily bulbs, then cover them with more compost. Keep in a greenhouse or sheltered spot while developing, tying tall varieties to canes

Lilies are bursting into elegant and colourful blooms at this time of year . It's a dramatic sight, and one you can prolong by simply removing the flowers as they fade.Lily plantsSecateursJuly - August10 minutesJuly - AugustTidy up the lily

knife and dust the wound with fungicide.liliesspring, autumnMore advice on growing liliesDividing day lilies videoRemoving lily beetlesPlanting lily bulbs in a potDeadheading lilies

, hedgehogs, beetles and other pest-eating wildlifeWatch out for red lily beetle on the tips and leaves of lilies. Squash any you find, or spray with a suitable pesticide

More common garden pestsRosemary leaf beetleLily beetleVine weevilThrips

. Take care not to disturb the beetles before an application, or they'll jump out of harm's way.brassica seedlings, nasturtiums, alyssum, anemone, stocks, cleome, godetiaspring, summerMore common garden pestsLily beetleRosemary leaf beetleCapsid bugsLeatherjackets