Lilies are a popular choice for many gardens, admired for their striking blooms and diverse colors. Despite their widespread appeal, lilies can become a food source for various animals. Recognizing which animals consume them is important for protecting these plants from damage.
Common Mammalian Pests
Deer frequently browse on lilies, consuming leaves, flower buds, and entire plants. Their feeding often results in ragged or torn stems and foliage. Deer can reach higher parts of the plant, often damaging blooms before they fully open.
Rabbits also feed on lily foliage and flowers, typically causing damage closer to the ground. They tend to clip stems with clean, angled cuts, distinguishing their damage from the more ragged appearance left by deer. Young lily shoots are particularly vulnerable, sometimes being eaten down to the ground.
Smaller Mammals and Rodents
Voles are a common underground threat to lilies, primarily targeting the bulbs. These small rodents tunnel beneath the soil, consuming bulbs from below, which can lead to plants wilting or disappearing without obvious above-ground damage. Small burrow entrances near affected plants often indicate their activity.
Mice can also nibble on lily bulbs. Their damage is similar to voles but might be less extensive. Gophers are another subterranean pest that can damage lilies by consuming entire bulbs and roots from their burrow systems.
Invertebrate Pests
Slugs and snails commonly feed on lily leaves and flowers, creating irregular holes and ragged edges. Their presence is often indicated by shiny, silvery trails left on leaves or surrounding surfaces, particularly noticeable in damp conditions. These mollusks are most active at night or on overcast days.
The lily beetle is a destructive insect pest. Both the bright red adult beetles and their brown, slug-like larvae feed on lilies, causing defoliation. Larvae are often covered in their own excrement, appearing as blackish-brown blobs on the undersides of leaves. Aphids, small sap-sucking insects, can also infest lilies, congregating on new growth and flower buds. While they do not consume plant tissue directly, their feeding can lead to distorted leaves and stunted plant growth, and they excrete a sticky substance called honeydew.
Identifying the Culprit
Observing the type and location of damage helps identify the animal responsible for consuming lilies. Clean, angled cuts on stems or leaves, especially close to the ground, often indicate rabbit activity. Ragged tears or extensive browsing higher up the plant suggest deer feeding. Small, dark droppings near affected plants can further confirm rabbit or deer presence.
Underground damage, such as missing bulbs or sudden wilting, points towards voles, mice, or gophers. Look for small tunnels or disturbed soil around the plant’s base. Irregular holes in leaves accompanied by silvery trails are signs of slug or snail activity. Visual inspection for the pests themselves, particularly lily beetles or their larvae, offers direct evidence.
Protecting Your Lilies
Implementing physical barriers provides effective protection against larger mammalian pests. Fences at least eight feet tall can deter deer, while shorter, fine-mesh fencing or chicken wire can exclude rabbits from lily beds. For underground pests, planting lily bulbs in wire cages or baskets can prevent voles and gophers from accessing them.
Repellents, both commercial and homemade, can deter animals through taste or smell. Applying these products regularly, especially after rain, helps maintain their effectiveness. For invertebrate pests, regular inspection allows for early detection and manual removal of slugs, snails, and lily beetles. Maintaining good garden hygiene, such as removing leaf litter, can reduce hiding places for slugs and snails.