Pest identification
What's eating my lupinus 'tequila flame'?
Lupin aphid (Macrosiphum albifrons)
Signs: Dense silver-gray colonies envelop stems and flower buds; growth distorts, spikes fail to open, and sooty mold follows.
Control: Spray off with water jet; apply insecticidal soap or pyrethrin; encourage beneficial insects such as ladybugs.
Slugs & snails
Signs: Crown and basal leaf damage at soil level; especially harmful to newly planted specimens or divisions in spring.
Control: Iron phosphate or ferric phosphate slug pellets; coarse grit mulch; nocturnal hand-picking after rain.
Pea & bean weevil (Sitona lineatus)
Signs: Rounded notches cut into leaf margins; larvae reduce root nodule function, causing pale and slow-growing plants.
Control: Use row cover on young plants; well-established lupins tolerate moderate weevil damage without intervention.
Deer
Signs: Flower stems and upper foliage browsed overnight; torn ragged cuts on stems; particularly targeted when spikes are in bud.
Control: Deer-repellent sprays applied to foliage monthly; physical fencing or wire cloches around individual plants.
Keep lupinus 'tequila flame' pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Lupinus 'Tequila Flame' pests — FAQ
What is eating my lupinus 'tequila flame'?
Like all Russell Hybrid-type lupins, 'Tequila Flame' is highly attractive to lupin aphids, which can devastate flower spikes within days. Slugs target crowns in spring, and pea weevils notch leaf edges. Deer will also browse the vivid flower spikes. Inspect weekly from bud-break onward.
How do I get rid of lupin aphid (macrosiphum albifrons) on lupinus 'tequila flame'?
Dense silver-gray colonies envelop stems and flower buds; growth distorts, spikes fail to open, and sooty mold follows. Spray off with water jet; apply insecticidal soap or pyrethrin; encourage beneficial insects such as ladybugs.
How do I get rid of slugs & snails on lupinus 'tequila flame'?
Crown and basal leaf damage at soil level; especially harmful to newly planted specimens or divisions in spring. Iron phosphate or ferric phosphate slug pellets; coarse grit mulch; nocturnal hand-picking after rain.
How do I get rid of pea & bean weevil (sitona lineatus) on lupinus 'tequila flame'?
Rounded notches cut into leaf margins; larvae reduce root nodule function, causing pale and slow-growing plants. Use row cover on young plants; well-established lupins tolerate moderate weevil damage without intervention.
How do I get rid of deer on lupinus 'tequila flame'?
Flower stems and upper foliage browsed overnight; torn ragged cuts on stems; particularly targeted when spikes are in bud. Deer-repellent sprays applied to foliage monthly; physical fencing or wire cloches around individual plants.