How to Keep Bugs Off My Stargazer Lilies

Crowd Control

• 1

  Spray "Star Gazer" lilies with a strong jet of water from a garden hose to blast clusters of aphids off the plants, paying special attention to the undersides of leaves where aphids often cluster.

• 2

  Lay a reflective mulch, such as commercial silver landscape paper or spray-painted construction paper, around the base of "Star Gazer" lilies to deter aphids. Hold the mulch in place with stones or by burying the edges under soil.

• 3

  Spray insecticidal soap on "Star Gazer" lilies infested with aphids. Spray in the morning or evening, avoiding midday heat, and cover all plant parts. Repeat weekly as needed.

Bug Off

• 4

  Check "Star Gazer" lilies in the early morning for lily leaf beetle adults, larvae and eggs. Adults, 1/2-inch-long, have bright scarlet and black coloring on their heads, antennae and legs. Larvae have slug-like brown, orange, yellowish or greenish bodies and black heads, and eggs are yellow-orange and laid in irregular rows. Larvae feed on the undersides of leaves and cover themselves in their excrement to deter predators. Remove and crush all adults, larvae and eggs.

• 5

  Spray lilies with neem oil diluted at a rate of 2 tablespoons per gallon of water, or according to the manufacturer's instructions, to control lily leaf beetles. Spray all plant parts, including the undersides of leaves. Repeat every five to seven days as needed.

• 6

  Spray a ready-to-use insecticide containing imidacloprid on lily leaves and stems, on a dry day. Repeat every 7 to 14 days if plants are severely infested, or spray every 30 days as a preventative.