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Hi there, I have a lilly pilly hedge that has unfortunately been severely neglected for the past year. When attempting to prune it today I noticed that the leaves had lots of tiny white dots, almost like eggs, on nearly every leaf. There are also these white scaly dots and there seems to be bugs eating it - I have had issues in the past with lilly pilly beetle infestation and I saw a few of them today.
I'm so sad that my hedge is looking like this - how can I revive it?
Thank you in advance.
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Georgia24. It's terrific to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about Lilly pilly care
It sounds like your lilly pilly hedge is facing a caterpillar infestation, which can cause significant damage to the leaves. The first step is to identify the type of caterpillars affecting your plants, as common culprits include lilly pilly beetle larvae, which resemble green caterpillars. If the infestation is not too severe, you can manually remove the caterpillars by handpicking them off the leaves. Wearing gloves can protect your hands, and you can place the caterpillars in a container filled with soapy water for disposal.
At present, there is no chemical control for these pests. Lilly Pilly Beetles and their larvae need to be manually removed and squashed. Alternatively, place a bucket of soapy water under the leaves and give the tree or branches a vigorous shake to encourage Lilly Pilly Beetles and larvae to drop into the bucket of soapy water.
Regular monitoring and maintenance will help prevent future infestations, allowing your lilly pilly hedge to recover and thrive.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
