RE: CULT: Murphey's and Borer

Hi,
Two summers ago while digging Iris I found a live
Borer.  I dropped it on the floor and poured
granular Merit on it.  It was dead in seconds!
Char, New Berlin WI 

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-iris@hort.net
[o*@hort.net] On Behalf Of Michael
D. Greenfield
Sent: Saturday, February 11, 2006 2:40 PM
To: iris@hort.net
Subject: Re: [iris] 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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