Yesterday I've noticed SCALE parasites on couple of my orchids. I've seen
scale on my ferns, but that was killed off by Bayer Dual Action Rose and
Flower Insect Killer.

It is very effective on scale, most effective of everything I used so far.
Can I possibly use it on orchids (phals, cattleyas, dendrobium) w/o damaging
plants? Has anybody in this group used commercial bug sprays on their
orchids without damaging them?

Thanks for your input, - Maggie's Mom.

i've done the alcohol-and-a-qtip thing, and then sprayed down with a
horticultural oil. but there are quite a few home remedies that folks
on here know; also, there are some recipes on ray's site:
firstrays.com

good luck!

--j_a

Believe me, I've had more leaf burns from horticultural oil than from
anything else I've used, and this Bayer bug killer seems to be really
effective in particular on scale, whether in the crawler stage, or mature
specimens. My worry is, since I've never used it on orchids, will this have
some sinister latent effect, that will destroy the orchids while I am not
watching...

I am relatively new to orchids, but they seem to be doing OK, even blooming
just about 2 x yearly - the scale on them is the newest development. I've
never had any bugs on orchids before, so I am allowing myself to panic a
bit.

I will look at the firstrays.com, and still will be grateful for any input.
Thanks! - Maggie's Mom.


wrote in message
...
i've done the alcohol-and-a-qtip thing, and then sprayed down with a
horticultural oil. but there are quite a few home remedies that folks
on here know; also, there are some recipes on ray's site:
firstrays.com

good luck!

--j_a

Maggie's Mom wrote:
Yesterday I've noticed SCALE parasites on couple of my orchids. I've seen
scale on my ferns, but that was killed off by Bayer Dual Action Rose and
Flower Insect Killer.

It is very effective on scale, most effective of everything I used so far.
Can I possibly use it on orchids (phals, cattleyas, dendrobium) w/o damaging
plants? Has anybody in this group used commercial bug sprays on their
orchids without damaging them?

Thanks for your input, - Maggie's Mom.


I googled the product and the active ingredients are Beta-cyfluthrin:
0.0015% Imidacloprid: 0.012%. The first is a synthetic pyrethroid, and
the second is more commonly known by a trade name, Merit. Pyrethrins of
various sorts have been used on orchids for years and so has Merit. I
haven't heard of any damage to plants form them, though damage to
current inflorescences or those currently developing is always a
possibility when chemicals are used, but that's sometimes a small price
to pay for saving the plant. The only thing you need to worry about,
IMHO, is the inactive ingredient, probably a petroleum-based product.
Spraying very early before ths sun is on the plants and when it's cooler
or later in the evening when the same conditions prevail is best to
avoid burning - the oil solvent in which the ingredients are dissolved
can act like tanning OIL (NOT suntan lotion) and intensify the sun and
cause severe burning - it needs to dry well before the sun is on the
plants - shading can help if necessary.

Other than that, and of course being careful not to get it on you or
breathe it in (as you should be when using it anytime - reading the
label for safety precautinos is always a good idea!), I think you should
be fine.

That's my opinion and I am a person who thinks scale are one of the TRUE
evils of the world!!

Thank you so much for your advice. I will spray the orchids right away and
they will be completely dry before the sun hits them in the morning. Glad to
hear that I am not killing them together with the scale.

Now about scale being evil, I can think of few more things WAY more evil
than scale, but since they won't let me use bug killer on, say, people, I
think we best don't go there. After all, this is the orchid board...
Maggie's Mom.


"tenman" wrote in message
news:49GdnYbnGYM2CIrVnZ2dnUVZ_rWtnZ2d@wideopenwest .com...
Maggie's Mom wrote:
Yesterday I've noticed SCALE parasites on couple of my orchids. I've seen
scale on my ferns, but that was killed off by Bayer Dual Action Rose and
Flower Insect Killer.

It is very effective on scale, most effective of everything I used so
far. Can I possibly use it on orchids (phals, cattleyas, dendrobium) w/o
damaging plants? Has anybody in this group used commercial bug sprays on
their orchids without damaging them?

Thanks for your input, - Maggie's Mom.
I googled the product and the active ingredients are Beta-cyfluthrin:
0.0015% Imidacloprid: 0.012%. The first is a synthetic pyrethroid, and the
second is more commonly known by a trade name, Merit. Pyrethrins of
various sorts have been used on orchids for years and so has Merit. I
haven't heard of any damage to plants form them, though damage to current
inflorescences or those currently developing is always a possibility when
chemicals are used, but that's sometimes a small price to pay for saving
the plant. The only thing you need to worry about, IMHO, is the inactive
ingredient, probably a petroleum-based product. Spraying very early before
ths sun is on the plants and when it's cooler or later in the evening when
the same conditions prevail is best to avoid burning - the oil solvent in
which the ingredients are dissolved can act like tanning OIL (NOT suntan
lotion) and intensify the sun and cause severe burning - it needs to dry
well before the sun is on the plants - shading can help if necessary.

Other than that, and of course being careful not to get it on you or
breathe it in (as you should be when using it anytime - reading the label
for safety precautinos is always a good idea!), I think you should be
fine.

That's my opinion and I am a person who thinks scale are one of the TRUE
evils of the world!!

Hi Mom,
I have had good success with a product called
GARDEN SAFE HOUSEPLANT SPRAY by Schultz. There is also one for Roses.
The main ingredient is .01% Pyritherins. Be sure to check this as the spray
bottles look the same.

Now more importantly, try to isolate the plants have scale because they
breed & move
fast!!!

Also bear in mind that if you use something untried on an orchid it won't
die right away like a house
plant, if the chemical is too strong or petroleum distillates.
Good luck,
Wendy

"Maggie's Mom" wrote in message
. ..
Yesterday I've noticed SCALE parasites on couple of my orchids. I've seen
scale on my ferns, but that was killed off by Bayer Dual Action Rose and
Flower Insect Killer.

It is very effective on scale, most effective of everything I used so far.
Can I possibly use it on orchids (phals, cattleyas, dendrobium) w/o
damaging plants? Has anybody in this group used commercial bug sprays on
their orchids without damaging them?

Thanks for your input, - Maggie's Mom.

As I keep my orchids (and most of other plants too) in one room, isolating
would probably come too late. I will have to treat everything in the room,
and possibly everything in the house - large palm in the living room, and
some succulents nearby. I've had scale before, only not on orchids. Hence I
know that preventive spraying on other plants, even though they don't show
any signs of scale (yet) is very important to end infestation fast.

I will look up the Schultz spray, and compare it with Bayer. Bayer worked
amazingly fast on scale infestation before, so this was my first choice -
and it seems to be very gentle on plants. I have some very sensitive ferns,
that were drenched in the bug killer - and there were no ill effects on
them, except it killed off all the adult scale within 24 hours.

I guess I do need to do some reading, before I do harm to my plants - thank
you all for your input and for help.

Peace, - Maggie's Mom.


"Wendy7" wrote in message
...
Hi Mom,
I have had good success with a product called
GARDEN SAFE HOUSEPLANT SPRAY by Schultz. There is also one for Roses.
The main ingredient is .01% Pyritherins. Be sure to check this as the
spray bottles look the same.

Now more importantly, try to isolate the plants have scale because they
breed & move
fast!!!

Also bear in mind that if you use something untried on an orchid it won't
die right away like a house
plant, if the chemical is too strong or petroleum distillates.
Good luck,
Wendy

"Maggie's Mom" wrote in message
. ..
Yesterday I've noticed SCALE parasites on couple of my orchids. I've seen
scale on my ferns, but that was killed off by Bayer Dual Action Rose and
Flower Insect Killer.

It is very effective on scale, most effective of everything I used so
far. Can I possibly use it on orchids (phals, cattleyas, dendrobium) w/o
damaging plants? Has anybody in this group used commercial bug sprays on
their orchids without damaging them?

Thanks for your input, - Maggie's Mom.

Hi,
I'll try to be brief... hard for me to do. :~}
If you see a couple of scale 'dots', you can swab some alcohol there.
Maybe rinse with water soon after since it tends to dry out the plant.
Just soapy water will also suffocate most insects. Then use a tooth
brush or other tool to brush it off. A stream of water also works.
Just be careful of those tender new growths that we wait on. Check
closely the other orchids and area where the orchid was sitting/
hanging. Killing visible scale doesn't mean they are not down in the
pot. I guess it is sometimes not practical to repot but you can soak
the pot or entire plant in a soapy water solution for maybe for 5
minutes. No stress to the orchid; its like watering. Then an
application of Imidacloprid is good. The Bayer products are probably
the most economical way to buy it. It is taken up mostly by the plants
roots and systemically fends off bugs. The scale seems to 'carpool'
with mealybugs.
Bugs are serious business. Unfortunately insects do transfer virus
from a sick plant to others... similar to a hypodermic needle.
('Encyclopedia of Plant and Crop Science' April 2005) An orchid
infected with a virus cannot be cured. It may grow beautifully for a
long time. If not discarded, it should be quarantined for the
duration.
.
Lee (in SC)

It must be May! The Myr... no, Mcp (well previously Schomburgkia)
tibicinis with ~20 pseudobulbs is about to display it's fireworks.

On Apr 29, 3:57*pm, "Maggie's Mom" wrote:
Yesterday I've noticed SCALE parasites on couple of my orchids. I've seen
scale on my ferns, but that was killed off by Bayer Dual Action Rose and
Flower Insect Killer.