CULT: Unknown worm infestation in rhizomes



Oh will somebody please help me?
Something is terribly wrong with my iris beds.  I figured I had a 
problem about a couple of months ago.  I read everything I could find 
and had decided I must have a borer infestation.  I never had any of 
the jagged edges or other classic signs, but the harder I looked the 
more sure I was that I have a problem.  About a month ago I ordered 
and injected a bunch of nematodes.  The signs of devastation and 
destruction contined to escalate.  About a week ago I started digged 
my beardeds and dwarfs out a section at a time and cutting out all 
signs of decay, rot and infestation.  I followed this by bleaching 
and double rinsing each lot.
Another iris lover forwarded me a link I've used tonight, after we've 
had two discussions today (yesterday) which provided pictures of the 
moth, pupae and larvae for borers.  I'm now once again really 
confused.  By the pictures at this link:
http://www.worldiris.com/public_html/Borer_Sequence/Iris_Borer_seq.htm
l
I don't have a borer infestation.  What I'm finding in the still 
infested rhizomes are a multitude of really tiny skinny white wormy 
things, they are somewhere in the order of  a 32nd to a 16th of an 
inch and in groups of say four to six per knife slice through the 
rhizome.  I've got many, many empty rhizome shells and as many rotted 
remnants.  I've also found what I'm as a scientist (really-->although 
at this point I'm almost ashamed to admit it) calling oppurtunistic 
secondary infections or infestations in the stricken rhizomes by 
insects.
I've overlaid each of the cleared bed areas with black garbage bags 
in the hopes of sterilizing the soil in the stricken areas of what 
had been my biggest and best iris bed.
Does anyone have any idea what I'm contending with and if so 
suggestions on what else I need to do?
Thank you		Donna at: Rascalbob13@cs.com



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