PLEASE! Save all forms of life on this planet by saving the world's bees! Something is killing bees world wide. Without bees to pollinate, our world is doomed.
PLEASE don't use pesticides or herbicides.
Instead, get Guineas. They'll eat those beetles and all other forms of hard-shelled bugs, including ticks and fleas. Chickens will eat the soft-skinned insects and bugs and ducks will eat slugs and snails - Yummy Escargo!
They will keep the destructive insect populations in balance without harming the beneficial insects, like our precious bees. ~Annie

Think that's bad, check out the photo of wht they carry around on their backs!

They are very easy to pick of and squish--in a baggie!

Leasa

Here is a link that might be useful: Lily Leaf Beetle

Leasa, I like the baggie idea. I do keep a container of soap and water out in the garden, but the baggies would be easy to shove into my pocket in case of an "emergency sighting"!

~Annie, of course you are absolutely right about the pesticides. I am trying very hard not to use them. I confess that today I just SNAPPED!
I knew last year that the beetles had reached western Mass, but there were none in my garden. So today was my first encounter with them and I TOTALLY freaked out and immediately ran to the garden center and bought the 3-in-one.
The Guineas are a good idea for those with room for chickens. But even Guineas won't eat the larva of the lily leaf beetle. I hope that those of you who are farther west will be spared from this very destructive pest.

PattiOh

I am so sorry for "preaching" at you PattiOh. I know that not everyone can or would want to keep chickens and guineas, etc.
I am just so freaked about everything right now.
Please forgive me.
I keep a jar with alchohol and water around. I pick off bugs and drop them into the alchohol. Especially great for when I find a tick crawling on me. Eeeek! The baggie thing is a great idea. That would save me from extra walking too. I am so crippled up now that I apprecitiate anything that saves me from haveing to do extra walking.
I completely understand where you are coming from. Several years back we had millions of Japanese beetles move onto our property and they devoured everything with leaves and flowers! The next two years we also had grasshoppers. They were so bad that the Pumpkin farmers a few miles from me lost their entire crop, which is 1/3 of their year's income. Nothing worked to get rid of the grasshoppers. They ate up everything, leaves, veggies, fruit and even would jump on me and my animals. I tried every organic method and homemade spray. As fast as I got rid of them, more would move down out of the prairie. I finally declared WAR and got some Sevins!
Regarding bees - I heard last night that scientists now believe that they know what is killing off the honey bees world wide. Cell phones. The signals disorient the homing of bees and they cannot find their way back to the hive. The entire colony will starve without the workers bees bringing food into the colony. Poor things.

~Annie, ((hugs to you))
It's VERY IMPORTANT that we ALL make our BEST effort to avoid using chemicals. I didn't think you were preaching at all. You were simply giving a NEEDED urgent reminder that using such things have dire consequences. I remarked in an earlier bee post from Danceswithwolves that I found this bee situation more frightening than terrorists. As you said, without bees the whole world is in trouble. I heard about the cell phones on the news earlier in the week. I hope something can be done about this terrible problem!

Anyway, I wanted to sound the lily leaf beetle alarm, as several New England gardeners have told me they regretted not being vigilent in watching out for the beetles until it was too late, and that they very quickly decimated their lilies and other plants. These are not your average beetles.

I hope another way is found soon to get these little buggers via some form of parasoid. Chemicals aren't my first option either as my main lily garden is right next to my pond. If I do spray it's always late in the evening after the butterflies and bees are gone. I never spray the open flowers, just the leaves. I must say though, I do find evil delight in picking off the beetles and feeding them to my fish. Nahahahahaha!