If you have "picnic bugs" (actually Four spotted Sap beetles) in your area(and it sounds like you do !), the "little white worms, are probably it's larval stage. They (the picnic bugs) are the insects I see "working" the rotted areas in the iris (and swarming around the compost pile, and eating my raspberries, and....you get the picture!), feeding on the 'fermenting" juices....and laying their eggs ! Some places they are called "beer bugs", because beer is something that draws them fast, at a picnic...because of the fermented aroma. They are small, oval, shiny black, like patent leather, 4 little yellowish orange spots on their back, about 3/16-1/4 inch long,and bite like they weigh 100 pounds, with big teeth! Like you said, better than borers, which, through their "eating", allow rot to start........these guys only show up on rotting vegetation, over ripe fruit, etc......better, but not much!....Arlyn
