Mealy bugs!!!!!!!!

[The newcomer]

ok so, this is a different orchid of mine, a white phal, i saw a bunch of melee bugs on the flowers, the flowers where falling off anyway so i cut the stem off after sterilizing a pair of scissors, i tuck a good look at all my plants but saw nothing, do you think i'll be ok? but i did see this tiny fly thing that went in my other phal so i dug up a little in it but saw nothing, do you think that will be ok?

[-k-]

Usually where you find one there are others to follow, keep a very close watch on them...checking everyday several times if you have the time. Check every nook for them, they are great at hiding...

[The newcomer]

even in the roots? and if i do find more how do i get rid of them?

[-k-]

Check out this link:
http://www.orchidgeeks.com/forum/orc...-got-bugs.html

Also check out the thread called: "The best stuff ever" it gives a lot of great info!

You may need to use an insecticide such as Safers or Bayer, but since it may be a light infestation Brookns receipe should work too, which can be located in the thread best stuff ever...

[11Orchid126]

As -K- says, start spraying with Safers soap formula or Bayer Advanced for Rose and Garden. Or make up your own spray with water, dish liquid, and some Formula 409.

[BillC]

Hi, are you sure that you have mealy bugs? I have never seen them on flowers as they feed on plant tissue. The pic is a cactus plant that had a bad infestation and caused considerable damage before I resolved the problem.

Bill

[Orchidementia]

"Melee bug" has got to be one of the best and most apt typos ever!

Once you find the little suckers, be sure to wet them down thoroughly (I use 1:3 alcohol and water with a tablespoon+ of liquid soap to kill everything). A light spray doesn't kill them; they have to be soaking wet.

[mehitabel]

Originally Posted by BillC

Hi, are you sure that you have mealy bugs? I have never seen them on flowers as they feed on plant tissue.
Bill

Absolutely, mealies love orchid flowers, where they hide on the back, and between the petals. They love flower stems, where they hide in the node coverings. Then of course, they love leaves and even roots as well. But not as much as they love flowers. I have found them most often on flowers.

Newcomer: yes, mealies can crawl around actively and can infect any part of the plant. They also multiply like crazy, giving birth to pregnant young. So just one can = thousands in a week or two.

Where you can see them, they don't get a good start, but once they're down in the root mass they can multiply without being seen. So the worst infestations I have found have been in the root area. I haven't found it to be a common thing, but in the last year, say three plants (out of more than 200) had serious infestations in the root area. The only sign was the plants weren't really growing well, and when I unpotted them to find out what the trouble was...

If you only find one or two on a leaf or flower, you are probably ok. If you find a lot of them, or if some of them are pretty big, then you have some that have been around long enough to really cause some problems.

Since your phal has finished blooming, why not repot it and check the roots for health?

You will have to treat the plant several times--once every two or three days for about three times to be sure you have gotten rid of them.

If it turns out you have a bad infestations -- big smears of lots of them, I would go straight to a systemic insecticidal. That means the poison is absorbed by the plant and will poison any pest that feeds off of it. Something like Bayers or Safers 3 n 1 or 1 n 1 gives 30 days of systemic protection.

If you had other plants nearby, be sure to check them thoroughly in every nook. As -K- said, they are great at hiding.

[dounoharm]

mealie bugs are tenacious little boogers....when you find one lot there are usually more in hiding....there have been many infestations around here locally, i have had several people drop by with infested plants!!! arrrghhhh!! i get out the systemic right away and coat the plant immediately, that seems to be the only cure. they need to be sprayed every two weeks with the systemic for 6 weeks then once a month thereafter....gl!

[11Orchid126]

Remember to treat the medium at the same time, as Mehitabel suggests.

[The newcomer]

I only saw them on the flowers, and yes there where alot, a few dozen on each flower.

thats why i cut it off but i have not seen any of them after that.

[Brooke]

A few dozen left you a few million babies hiding somewhere.

Good luck - Brooke