Re: CULT: Borers
I would like to add a second to John's comments about shipping borers. I
would be very upset if I found out that someone had intentionally shipped
them into my area. I've never had borers, and I don't want them. I have
enough problems with the cacti I grow, and I don't need similar problems
with my Iris (the wind and late frosts are bad enough). I have on occasion
received Iris plants that had borers in the tubers (from ususpecting and
well intentioned people), and I promptly dipped them in bleach solution
(by-by borers). I know that Iris borers will probably eventually become a
problem here, as some are bound to slip through to unsuspecting gardeners
(if they have not already), but to intentionally ship the living critters
around is irresponsible. I know the intentions are good, but one dropped
bottle or similar mistake could be the beginning of a real problem.
If you want to ship them, put the larvae, eggs, or pupae in a vial of
alcohol or some other preservative liquid and send them dead (the color
will fade, but borers don't have a lot of color to start with). You can do
the same with the adults, but you can also put them (dry) into paper
envelops and ship them in a small parcel so they won't get smashed. Once
they are dead, they are harmless.
Dave
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE IRIS
