Borers at the border?

I haven't found much borer damage in my irises since I used merit for 2 years - well, unexplained rot, but only 1 or 2 that might have been borers. But as I am digging up the outsides of the beds where I will expand and plant tulips this fall, I am finding lots of fat borer look-alikes. Are there are other grubs that look just like borers? I am finding them also in other areas where I don't grow irises. Do they maybe live on other foliage if they can't find irises?

Borers are found more often in irises near shrubs etc. I'm sure that there are other grubs, but a fat greyish pink? humm

Last year I found 3 infestations that I cut out ASP. This year there have been none, which should have shown up by now. In late Sept. last year, I treated all Iris with Bayer 3-1 Rose & Flower Care and I truly believe that it has made the difference.

The Iris Borers are a dark orange color. I've dug up many white'ish borers but nothing else suspicious.

Cut one in half with gardening sizzors last Sat. With all the rain since (yea!) I have not been out weeding.

Any chance it could be a Japanese Beetle grub? We get a lot of those in our soil around here and they were plentiful this year.

Found this on one of the university i-net sites. Japanese beetle grubs tend to curl into a C shape when exposed. Green june beetle grubs tend to stretch out on their backs and wiggle away.

Husker -- that Bayer 3-1 product that you used -- is that a fertilizer?

Yes, that's why I especially like it. A gardener friend told me to use it in early Spring and late Sept. It 's a Fertilizer, Insect control and Disease control. I pour about a cup around the base of the Iris. I like this way better than a sprayer.

That Bayer 3 in one product is a fertilizer, fungicide and insectacide. If thats not what you want and just need an insectacide, try Bonide brand (instead of Bayer brand) systemic insectic control instead.

The grubs I am finding are white with a tan head. Not pinkish. Not iris borers?

This link is one of the better discussions of iris borers.

http://www.irisgarden.org/borermain.html

sounds like borers. Not all have the pink tinge.