[NAFEX] Jim' Fruth's Elderberry Wilting / Girdling

Richard MURPHY murphman108 at msn.com
Mon May 25 20:59:00 EDT 2009


Elderberry Borer;

There definitely is a bug called the Elderberry Borer. 
It's a beetle. It is a cool looking bug; blue and yellow.

In one of my favorite Sambucus Picking Spots, I noticed a few 'droopy tipped' shoots on the plants.
I snapped one branch 8 mm dia. about 8" below the droop, and brought it home. A casual glance at the stick yielded nothing. As I gave it a closer look, I found them; a line of a dozen or so, 1 mm holes, all about 5 mm apart. (looks like a teeny little flute.)

Bastards !!

I split the stick the long way, and found a larvae (micro-worm) in each hole. They were actually still alive.
I cannot be absolutely sure this was the work of the Elderberry Borer, but who else would it be?

When I went back to the site, I found some sticks to have as many as 25 oviposits (holes).

So, whatever is doing this, is doing it in Summer or Fall, and isn't noticed until the following season.

Seems like everything we like has it's own Borer.

Murph


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