Tbh I am still gonna be pretty upset once I get the guts to dig out / remove / thin out a gigantic number of my lilies to make it easier to manage the Red Lily Beetle infestation. Unless it’s for selling (in which case I have to be VERY thorough in keeping the sellable ones beetle-free) I cannot allow my Lilies to propagate themselves prolifically anymore.
You know what also sucks though? Red Lily Beetles hide/hibernate in mulch and groundcovers, the two things I’ve been wanting to establish/implement throughout my gardens to reduce watering needs.
“mulch is great for the garden!” this is true unless you’re either growing reseeding biannuals/annuals/triannuals, or are growing lilies with a bad case of the Red Lily Beetles. Well that or you have lavender, cause they do not like wet feet.