Author Topic: What's eating my lily pad? (Read 2669 times)

Jonna · « **on:** March 01, 2010, 08:13:47 PM »

Anyone know what this is? It's happening to my only nightbloomer, I just got it a few months ago and then had to chop off all the pads when the pump blew up. It has put up 3 leaves so far and all of them look like this. There is a new one on the way up, it seems ok so far. I don't see anything like this on any of the other lilies. That's what really confuses me. I looked for snails on the back and nothing I could see. The other leaf was just a skeleton of lace, hardly anything left. I sure hope it isn't something contagious. Argh!

Rad Michelle · « **Reply #1 on:** March 01, 2010, 08:18:54 PM »

ive occasionally noticed my leaves look like that, never found a culprit tho

Julles · « **Reply #2 on:** March 01, 2010, 08:22:55 PM »

It could be a caterpiller. They eat only certain kinds of leaves, and that could be why only the nightbloomer is chewed on. I have caterpillers that regularly chomp on some ofmy lilies. They usually leave black poop there, too.

Any signs of poop?

Jonna · « **Reply #3 on:** March 02, 2010, 07:00:49 AM »

hmmm.... will look for poop. there's only 1 leaf left plus the small one coming up, I'm afraid it will die. Could it be dragonfly larvae?

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #4 on:** March 02, 2010, 08:55:59 AM »

I had a similar problem a couple of years ago....Moth larvae

I can't remember what kind of moth but PondmaninAL gave me the recipe to wipe those suckers out and I didn't see them last year. Let me see where that post is and I'll get back to you, unless someone else knows what's up.

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 02, 2010, 08:58:56 AM »

Dragonfly nymphs are carnivorous.

Is water splash getting on the pads? could be fungus.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #6 on:** March 02, 2010, 10:51:25 AM »

I'm wrong....I had China Mark Moths and they cut leaves to cover the larvae. Sorry! But it was suggested that I use diluted bt to kill these buggers. Didn't hurt my fishies or plants. Knock on wood I will not see them again.

Desertponder · « **Reply #7 on:** March 02, 2010, 01:35:00 PM »

It could be glass worms.

Go outside after dark with a flashlight and look at the underside of the pad with the flashlight. These little buggers are very, very tiny and hard to see because they are clear little worms and they usually are squiggling like crazy. They can do a real number on a lily in a short amount of time.

Joyce always recommended Safer brand caterpillar killer, its safe with fish, etc.

In my smaller water gardens I always just rubbed the pads between my hands and hosed them off and snipped off any of the really bad pads. Doing this daily would bring them under control.

Marie Fisher · « **Reply #8 on:** March 02, 2010, 01:50:25 PM »

Dipel is the product of choice to control China marker moths. It comes in powder form, is
not expensive. Just sprinkle it around on pond, will be white powder. In couple of days rinse
it off. Does not affect plants or fish.

Marie Fisher

PondmaninAL · « **Reply #9 on:** March 02, 2010, 06:19:03 PM »

Annette, the BT that I suggested was thuricide HPC. It is sold to get rid of any caterpillar. I'm not sure if Jonna can find it down there.

Jonna · « **Reply #10 on:** March 02, 2010, 07:36:34 PM »

Yea, that's usually the problem. I have looked for BT before and not found it. It is probably here but hiding from me.

I'm going out with the flashlight now to look for glassy things.

karen J · « **Reply #11 on:** March 05, 2010, 08:31:54 AM »

Did you find anything?

It doesn't look like midge damage, and it doesn't look like snail damage. Aphids are pretty small, but you'd see them. It could be beetle damage. Galerucella larvae will skeletonize the leaves like the one in the top of your pic. You could use Bt or sprinkle diatomaceous earth on the leaves.
There are also around 50 aquatic and 100 semi aquatic moths whose larvae eat leaves.

Jonna · « **Reply #12 on:** March 05, 2010, 09:09:12 AM »

No glass worms. I went out with the flashlight and searched around it and under the submerged leaf, messing that one up too, and what was left of the eaten leaf. I'm thinking now that it must be some kind of moth, we have an enormous number of moths and butterflies and such down here. I see another new leaf starting at the base so I hope that the life cycle for this whatever is over and these 2 small leaves will make it on the surface. Otherwise, I will try and take it up on the roof to the kiddie pool where the temps are higher and the water is shallower. I really don't want to lose this nightbloomer, it would be very hard to get another.

robie · « **Reply #13 on:** March 09, 2010, 03:09:08 PM »

jona there are an other meet at cesar`s pond ¡¡¡
let me kwon if you want to go ¡¡

domingo 12 hrs ¡¡

Jonna · « **Reply #14 on:** March 09, 2010, 04:15:46 PM »

¿el domingo proximo? si, puedo ir. enviarme la dirección, OK?

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #15 on:** March 09, 2010, 05:25:00 PM »

Moths either eat nectar or nothing. Caterpillars might be the culprit but not a moth. Moths don't have chewing mouthparts.

Jonna · « **Reply #16 on:** March 10, 2010, 11:01:51 AM »

I may need to pull that lily up and see what the roots look like too. Is it possible that nightblooming tropicals need warmer water than other trops? It is fairly deep, about 3' and I have a kiddie pool on the roof that is shallower and the water is a bit warmer. I'm wondering about pulling it, looking at the roots and putting it on the roof with more sun, warmer water and less depth. I hate to mess with it if that could make it worse. It's just not thriving. It is just now starting to get really warm down here, it was in the high 80's this afternoon but until this week we've been really cool. The water temp is still around 72F which just may not be warm enough for this lily?

tammie · « **Reply #17 on:** March 10, 2010, 01:38:09 PM »

Nightbloomers do want warmer water and air temps. Guess you don't have anything to lose by repotting it? Are you sure it's a nightbloomer? The pads don't look right to me... usually nightbloomers have "wavy", "toothy" edges to the pads...
Tammie

PondmaninAL · « **Reply #18 on:** March 10, 2010, 05:47:44 PM »

My white night bloomer wasn't so fussy. It was the first to come back last Spring after a bad Florida Winter.

robie · « **Reply #19 on:** March 11, 2010, 10:53:28 AM »

this is cesar and rita`s adress

calle 59 #445 x 58 y 60 col. francisco de montejo
merida,yuc

lleva refrescos y desechable ¡¡¡

its tacopond party ¡¡¡

see you there ¡¡¡

Jonna · « **Reply #20 on:** March 11, 2010, 12:44:44 PM »

Bueno

hasta domingo Robie

Tammie, I don't know for sure what it is, it has not bloomed since I got it. You're right about the leaves though, they look like hardy leaves. On top of this, my whole yard is torn up and full of bags of concrete and workers so it is not easy to get to the pond right now. Hopefully, they will be finished this week and I'll get in there and pull it out.