Viewing post #674258 by crowrita1

Harley !I agree with Tom...sort of! Plant your iris...and if you want to use "chemical controls", do so. Any borers that have already "buttoned up' for the year WON'T be killed, but any "new" ones, chewing on the fans, will be. Then, next year, at about the time Tom mentioned, apply your chemical, according to directions. The stuff I use (same as Tom's, I think) lasts "about" 3 months....the more rain you have, the quicker it will be "used up"...so you will need to re-treat the area...I do it in mid-June. The product in the Bayer Long season Grub Control (and many other similar products) is trade named "merit", and is a systemic insecticide, meaning that any bug (or person, for that matter!) that chews on ANY part of that treated plant will be affected. I always find a few borers, no matter what I do, so you need to be vigilant for them! If you find him on the leaf...squish him, if he's already in the rhizome, follow Dave's advice. If you want to go "chemical free", beneficial nematodes and "squishing" are about your only options. The nematodes are kind of "pricey", but, so are chemicals. Most of the chemical controls have been linked to Colony Collapse Disorder, in honey bees. ( this is an issue that is heavily debated, and you can find tons of "pro", as well as "con" info on the net) I "keep bees"....,and I use chemical controls, following the instructions for their use, and using what *I* think are "common sense" rules...I drench the soil, not the plant, I apply when the bees aren't active, and I grow plenty of blooming flowers and plants that the bees find more to their "taste" (which are NOT treated with insecticides, herbicides, or fungicides). As was stated earlier, the borer isn't the big problem...it's the softrot entering the "wounded "area that's the biggest threat....so controlling the borer is step one to controlling rot. Good luck with your efforts!...............Arlyn