Okay, mice eating orchids is nasty, no doubt. I have a different problem.

Two weeks ago I purchased a mature Ascocentrum (Judy Fister) from another
member of my society. She is scaling down, moving to smaller place, and I
have bought a few other plants from her.

This plant is specimen size. It was loaded with spikes - too many to count.
It went from her environment directly to mine, and the two are identical.
By the pool, growing under screening, same light exposure.

The day after I brought it home the spikes started to blast. I sprayed for
thrips, just in case. Two days later, the leaves started to blacken. I
treated for fungus with Physan. Today, I cut off 28 shriveled spikes, and
there are a good many more that need to go. I do see some new ones starting.
I hit the whole plant with a bucket of alcohol/soap. Yesterday I hit it
with alcohol/cinnamon. I plucked dead leaf after dead leaf from this plant.

In all, I have taken four plants from the same person. One, a Catt, is
doing fabulously well, and is growing very near the Vanda in question.
Another, Den. anosmum (superbum) is about to bloom and is healthy as a
horse. The fourth is another Vanda that I got from her some months back,
and it went downhill immediately after I brought it home. I have seen her
grow area, and the plants are in great shape.

Am I missing something about the life span of Vandas? Is it possible that
they, unlike so many other orchids, are limited as to how long they will
thrive?

I am *p*d off here. What am I doing wrong, if anything? Right now, I just
want to save this plant, if I can......

Diana