I had all winter to think about whether it would break my heart more to pull up all my lilies, or watch them get devoured by the lily leaf beetles and their disgusting larvae.
I entered spring thinking I would battle them for one more year. But then I read a thread about them in a social media group for Wisconsin gardeners.
Many of the people commenting had already been fighting a losing battle with lily leaf beetles for a couple of years. The stories and photos were brutal. It’s amazing how much damage just a few beetles and their larvae can cause.
After that I changed my mind and pulled out 90 percent of the beautiful lily collection that I have tended to and loved for the last 15 years.
I’m hoping and praying that the onslaught of these awful invaders follows the script of the Japanese Beetles. Those little beasts wreaked havoc in our part of Wisconsin for about 10 years. I used to find hundreds of them in my yard each summer afternoon.
I gave up growing hollyhocks, roses, large marigolds and other plants because their leaves and flower petals were quickly skeletonized into non-existence by these metallic-colored beetles.
Last summer I only saw a couple of Japanese beetles over the entire summer. I’m back to growing hollyhocks, and I’m thinking about planting a rose bush or two next spring.
Lily leaf beetles are more attractive than Japanese beetles thanks to their screaming-red color.
But that’s the only compliment I have for the little monsters.
The few lilies that I spared were already devoured right down to their stalks by mid-June.
It was heart-wrenching to pull up all of those beautiful plants this spring. But I think I made the right decision.