What's eating my fritillaria imperialis 'lutea'?

Crown imperial 'Lutea' has an advantage: the strong foxy smell of the bulbs repels deer, rabbits, and most rodents, making it one of the best pest-deterrent bulbs in the garden. Lily beetle is the most serious threat — the red beetles and their larvae rapidly defoliate stems. Slugs and aphids are secondary concerns.

Bright red adult beetles and their excrement-covered larvae skeletonise leaves rapidly from the top down; stems can be completely stripped. Check plants daily in spring and summer; pick off red adults and squash orange egg clusters and larvae; spray with pyrethrin if infestation is heavy.

Colonies on stems and undersides of leaves produce sticky honeydew; heavy infestations weaken developing flower spikes. Spray with insecticidal soap or a strong water jet; introduce beneficial insects; neem oil as a preventive drench.

Emerging shoots in early spring are chewed at soil level before the strong scent fully develops on maturing stems. Apply iron phosphate pellets around emerging shoots in early spring; hand-pick at night when temperatures are mild.