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Identification
Elongated beetles with orange, black, and cream markings (common asparagus beetle) or dull orange-red (spotted variety); grey-black larvae feed alongside.
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Life Cycle
Overwinter as adults in plant debris, emerge in spring to lay eggs on spears and ferns; two to three generations per season.
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Damage Signs
Adults and larvae strip foliage and scar spears, weakening plants and reducing yield and vigour for the following season.
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Treatment
Hand-pick beetles and larvae. Apply spinosad or pyrethrin for heavy infestations. Cut and destroy infested ferns in autumn.
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Prevention
Clear bed debris each autumn to remove overwintering sites. Encourage ladybirds, a key natural predator of eggs.