So I went walking down the road a bit ago, and happened to look over at the patch of elderberry bushes I've been managing, only to see that one of the largest plants looked like it had one of its largest pieces sheered right off.
From a distance I was wondering what on earth could have done that kind of damage to the plant, but when I got up close, I saw that the plant's branch had been completely hollwed out, by what looks like was some type of boring beetle.
I never saw the bug itself, but there's a possibility that it is further down in the plant.
What do I do?
Is there anyway to save the plant?
Elderberry borer?
The larvae of these beetles appear to feed primarily in the roots of the plants - see http://tinyurl.com/28ursmp - I also have seen suggestions that any obviously infested canes simply be cut off and burned.
It goes down into the main part of the tree itself.
If you can protect the elderberry canes from physical damage, that should help minimize borer attack, as the beetle apparently needs access to the pith in the canes to lay its eggs. The only other control recommendation I have seen is to prune the plants to their base when they are dormant.
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