Re: CULT: Murphey's and Borer

While soaking rhizomes in a five gallon bucket with a 15% solution of bleach and a strong solution of Lindane ( not sure of the strength, knowing me it was strong ) five mature borers were found. This was before I had ever heard of Cygon or any other control. These borers were there for over two days. When I took them out they were still able to crawl like nothing had happened. I killed them then. I would imagine they would have died but I am not sure. Tough little buggers. Easy to see why they are tough to kill when the are mature. When you poke a stick at one they rear up as to fight.

I have seen evidence that is 90 % sure that they can crawl 7 ' from the iris they had been eating to another iris bed that had no borer damage. They turned into pupa in the new bed.

I could not say either way if the oil would affect the eggs. If it is an oil that is mixed with water it could wash off before killing the eggs. If the eggs can survive -25: F a little oil isn't going to do much. I believe burning would help a lot. That option is not open to most because of burning laws and safty.

Mike Greenfield

----- Original Message ----- From: "John I Jones" <jijones@usjoneses.com>
To: <iris@hort.net>
Sent: Saturday, February 11, 2006 2:43 PM
Subject: Re: [iris] CULT: Murphey's and Borer


Being in borer free country, I don't have much knowledge of their life cycle, but as I understand it, they eat their way down in side the leaves and through the rhizome and out into the ground. There they metamorphcize into the moths that then lay their eggs on the leaves/detritus around the plant. The eggs hatch and they start crawling around looking for leaves to eat.

Seems that the oil might be effective in smothering the eggs (fall/spring application) and perhaps the small first stages of the worm/caterpiller/borer (spring application)

Musings from the uninformed.

John
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