Gardening invites many welcome critters into your backyard — and some not-so-welcome ones. Getting rid of the pests and invasive species often drives people to reach for toxic chemicals, but a home gardener on TikTok has a safer, more eco-friendly solution.
The scoop
GardeningGrant (@gardeninggrant) on TikTok showed a video of his lovely lily plants but highlighted the pesky scarlet lily beetle trying to chow down on them.
@gardeninggrant Some garden pests are actually very, very bad. One example is the Scarlet Lily Beetle which is an invasive species. It was introduced into North America via Montreal in the 1950s. They will decimate your lilies if you don't deal with them quickly. Snip off all the badly damaged foliage including the leaves with the larvae. It is best to hand pick off the red beetles from the undersides of the leaves and dunk them in soapy water before you dispose of them. And cut down the badly damaged lilies - they may be difficult to save. One of the many reasons I am transitioning my garden to native plants. They STRONG! #invasivespecies #lilybeetle #scarletlilybeetle #lilies #lilyflower #asiaticlily #gardenpests #gardeningtips ♬ original sound - GardeningGrant
He warned that they're invasive, so it's best to kill them and their larvae either by squishing them by hand or brushing them into a pot of soapy water.
"You can also try distracting them by planting fritillaries, one of the only other plants they'll feed on," he said in the video. In the caption, GardeningGrant added, "One of the many reasons I am transitioning my garden to native plants. THEY STRONG!"
How it's working
A distracting plant for pests is often called a "trap plant" or "trap crop" because it lures pests away. It's a great way to add more plants to your garden while avoiding harmful pesticides, which can leach into the soil and groundwater, adding unnecessary and often toxic chemicals into food and water for humans and the overall ecosystem.
Switching to more native plants, as GardeningGrant mentioned, also saves time, money, and resources on caring for finicky plants that require more care to thrive in their unnatural environment.
And as annoying as it might be to squish beetles or hunt for pests, studies have shown spending time in the garden can reduce depression and anxiety levels. It can also contribute to your exercise regimen, with a study from the United Kingdom showing that gardening can improve dexterity and burn as many calories as hitting the gym, thanks to activities like raking, digging, or mowing.
What people are saying
Many people in the comments lamented the struggle of removing the beetle, with some saying they would skip planting lilies in their next round of gardening. "I swear, 15 minutes after I plant one, I'm invaded!" one person said.
"I needed this info. I was crushing the beetles but didn't look for the larvae, and just killed a TON," a grateful person commented.
One person added a hack, suggesting, "Hunt for the eggs too! I had them bad for a few years then I went on the offensive."
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