Is this red bug a garden pest?

[papillon]

My garden is crawling with these red bugs. I don't know what they are or if they will cause damage to my flowers, vegetables and trees. Can anyone tell me if they are a pest and, if so, what can I do about them?

 

[zigs]

Aarrgghh, Lilly beetle alert, run away, run away.

It'll eat all your Lillies.

 

[papillon]

Noooo! How can I protect the lilies? Is there something I can do / plant to discourage the Lily beetles, or is there anything that will eat them? I really don't want to spray insecticide on them.

 

[zigs]

Most people squash on site, a friend of mine will only spray if he gets a bad infection, and even then he puts a bag over the plant & sprays Provado thru a hole in it, to keep the bees off, don't want to hurt them, they're going thru enough at the moment.