#@!##@$$#@@#$%%$%^&&&*(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just had one more look at the plant that I posted about a moment ago. The
one that has been bud blasting on the one hand and opening flowers fast on
the other hand. I looked under a leaf, and there was this white cottony
creature - mealy bug - under the leaf. So far I have seen only one, but if I
understand correctly they don't come in just one, right? I moved the plant
immediately to another area of the apartment, but it's been with my other
flowering plants for the past two weeks - yes, I know, I have heard about
how important it is to keep new plants separate, but I ignored it,
stubbornly, stupidly, grrr!

So what do I do know? Aside from go to work (right now), I don't have time
to deal with it until tomorrow. Do I assume that all the other plants in
that area are contaminated? Do I just watch them carefully to establish
whether or not they are? This is my first experience with critters, but I am
very certain this was one, I could really see it quite distinctly and it
looked very much like in the photos I had seen before. It had this sticky
cottony substance around it. It was yucky!

Do I understand correctly that rubbing alcohol is the thing to use on them?
Do I repot the plant? Do I need to cut the spike off (it's got a lot of
flowers that just opened, and more buds remaining)? I know I probably should
already know the answers to these questions, but until now I had no reason
to pay too close attention to pests issues.

Help,
Joanna

J Fortuna wrote:

#@!##@$$#@@#$%%$%^&&&*(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



And for good measure $%%^**@!

I just had one more look at the plant that I posted about a moment ago. The
one that has been bud blasting on the one hand and opening flowers fast on
the other hand. I looked under a leaf, and there was this white cottony
creature - mealy bug - under the leaf. So far I have seen only one, but if I
understand correctly they don't come in just one, right? I moved the plant
immediately to another area of the apartment, but it's been with my other
flowering plants for the past two weeks - yes, I know, I have heard about
how important it is to keep new plants separate, but I ignored it,
stubbornly, stupidly, grrr!



Actually I believe they can come in ones, but they are often
parthenogenic (is that the right word?) in that females don't always
require males to bear offspring. So one is enough... Keep new plants
separate... Oh, you knew that... *grin*

So what do I do know? Aside from go to work (right now), I don't have time
to deal with it until tomorrow. Do I assume that all the other plants in
that area are contaminated? Do I just watch them carefully to establish
whether or not they are? This is my first experience with critters, but I am
very certain this was one, I could really see it quite distinctly and it
looked very much like in the photos I had seen before. It had this sticky
cottony substance around it. It was yucky!



If you only saw one, chances are good that there aren't many others,
if any. So I'd probably adopt a pose of watchful waiting. Be careful
to look under the leaves, and at the base of the plant. They also (on
paphs) like to live at the base or right inside the new fans of leaves.
Don't assume that if the plants closest to patient zero are clean, that
the rest of the plants are clean. Baby mealies are quite mobile. If
you do find more, then don't be afraid to take drastic action. I like
to repot everything. If the infestation is really bad, I usually just
pitch the plant. But then again, I have lots of plants. Some plants
are more tasty than others, and if it is badly infested it may just be
snack food for the rest of its life.

Do I understand correctly that rubbing alcohol is the thing to use on them?
Do I repot the plant? Do I need to cut the spike off (it's got a lot of
flowers that just opened, and more buds remaining)? I know I probably should
already know the answers to these questions, but until now I had no reason
to pay too close attention to pests issues.


Depends on the plant. I wouldn't use alcohol on a catasetum or
masdevallia. But catts, paphs, phrags, phals... sure. Just use a Q-tip
(or other, non-branded cotton swab). If you want, you can spray the
whole plant with alcohol. I wouldn't remove the flowers. But keep an
eye on them, that is where the mealies will go for snacks. Keep the
plant isolated for several weeks. Be careful to look near the roots,
sometimes mealies get in there and then they are hard to get out. I'd
definitely repot the plant when it is done flowering.


Rob

--
Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a. See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase
more orchids, obtain more credit

Hello Joanna!

I got mealy bug last month on blooming Phals!

I used a mix of rubbing alcohol with dishes soap! For 1 ounce of alcohol, I
add 10 drops of soap.
I did spray my plants, leaves, flowers, roots and repottted it. 4 days
after, I just sprayed my plants, leaves and flowers and got rid of the bug.
I didn`t lose the flower!

Good luck

Claude

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
...
| #@!##@$$#@@#$%%$%^&&&*(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
|
| I just had one more look at the plant that I posted about a moment ago.
The
| one that has been bud blasting on the one hand and opening flowers fast on
| the other hand. I looked under a leaf, and there was this white cottony
| creature - mealy bug - under the leaf. So far I have seen only one, but if
I
| understand correctly they don't come in just one, right? I moved the plant
| immediately to another area of the apartment, but it's been with my other
| flowering plants for the past two weeks - yes, I know, I have heard about
| how important it is to keep new plants separate, but I ignored it,
| stubbornly, stupidly, grrr!
|
| So what do I do know? Aside from go to work (right now), I don't have time
| to deal with it until tomorrow. Do I assume that all the other plants in
| that area are contaminated? Do I just watch them carefully to establish
| whether or not they are? This is my first experience with critters, but I
am
| very certain this was one, I could really see it quite distinctly and it
| looked very much like in the photos I had seen before. It had this sticky
| cottony substance around it. It was yucky!
|
| Do I understand correctly that rubbing alcohol is the thing to use on
them?
| Do I repot the plant? Do I need to cut the spike off (it's got a lot of
| flowers that just opened, and more buds remaining)? I know I probably
should
| already know the answers to these questions, but until now I had no reason
| to pay too close attention to pests issues.
|
| Help,
| Joanna
|
|

Joanna,

Be very watchful. And I can tell you that when I had mealies on a few Phals
last year I got rid of them with alcohol and also repotting, spraying the
roots as well as the plant. Personally, I'd want to see those roots right
away, regardless of the flowering status. It's possible to pull enough of
the medium out of the to examine what's going on down there without totally
disturbing the plant. Don't be too surprised if you find the critters down
in the medium.

As to the other plants, watch for any sign of stress. Even if you don't see
the bugs on the surface of the plant they could be down in the pot. I say
this from experience, not to alarm but to forewarn.

Diana

Thanks to all of you for your advice! I was pleasantly surprised to learn
that it might just have been the one, but I will keep an eye out for more
mealies. I might take a look at the root system and the media this weekend
just to be on the safe side, but I will try to disturb the plant as little
as possible since it is already under stress (bud blasting). I will keep
checking all my orchids carefully for the next few weeks, and if I find any
more will give them the rubbing alcohol treatment.

Thanks!
Joanna

"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
ink.net...
Joanna,

Be very watchful. And I can tell you that when I had mealies on a few
Phals
last year I got rid of them with alcohol and also repotting, spraying the
roots as well as the plant. Personally, I'd want to see those roots right
away, regardless of the flowering status. It's possible to pull enough of
the medium out of the to examine what's going on down there without
totally
disturbing the plant. Don't be too surprised if you find the critters down
in the medium.

As to the other plants, watch for any sign of stress. Even if you don't
see
the bugs on the surface of the plant they could be down in the pot. I say
this from experience, not to alarm but to forewarn.

Diana

Mealies are nasty little creatures as are scale (of any kind). I, and
others, have had very good sucess with alcohol. If you have just a few
plants, alcohol on a swab will work just fine. When you have more, a spray
bottle filled with an alcohol/409 orange mix is a lot more convenient. I use
1 qt 70% rubbing alcohol and 1 qt orange409 mixed with enough water to make
1 gal of spray (which lasts indefinately in a gallon jug) makes a very
effective spray against many bugs, including whitefly, aphids, and boisduval
scale. I've ad no ill effects on orchids under my conditions but you may
want to try a small number under your conditions first before using on
everything.
Gary

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
...
#@!##@$$#@@#$%%$%^&&&*(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just had one more look at the plant that I posted about a moment ago.
The
one that has been bud blasting on the one hand and opening flowers fast on
the other hand. I looked under a leaf, and there was this white cottony
creature - mealy bug - under the leaf. So far I have seen only one, but if
I
understand correctly they don't come in just one, right? I moved the plant
immediately to another area of the apartment, but it's been with my other
flowering plants for the past two weeks - yes, I know, I have heard about
how important it is to keep new plants separate, but I ignored it,
stubbornly, stupidly, grrr!

So what do I do know? Aside from go to work (right now), I don't have time
to deal with it until tomorrow. Do I assume that all the other plants in
that area are contaminated? Do I just watch them carefully to establish
whether or not they are? This is my first experience with critters, but I
am
very certain this was one, I could really see it quite distinctly and it
looked very much like in the photos I had seen before. It had this sticky
cottony substance around it. It was yucky!

Do I understand correctly that rubbing alcohol is the thing to use on
them?
Do I repot the plant? Do I need to cut the spike off (it's got a lot of
flowers that just opened, and more buds remaining)? I know I probably
should
already know the answers to these questions, but until now I had no reason
to pay too close attention to pests issues.

Help,
Joanna

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
...
#@!##@$$#@@#$%%$%^&&&*(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just had one more look at the plant that I posted about a moment ago.
The
one that has been bud blasting on the one hand and opening flowers fast on
the other hand. I looked under a leaf, and there was this white cottony
creature - mealy bug - under the leaf. So far I have seen only one, but if
I

So what do I do know? Aside from go to work (right now), I don't have time
to deal with it until tomorrow. Do I assume that all the other plants in
that area are contaminated? Do I just watch them carefully to establish
whether or not they are? This is my first experience with critters, but I
am
very certain this was one, I could really see it quite distinctly and it
looked very much like in the photos I had seen before. It had this sticky
cottony substance around it. It was yucky!

Do I understand correctly that rubbing alcohol is the thing to use on
them?
Help,
Joanna

I have had perfect success with a mixture of 40 parts water, 10 parts
alcohol and 1 part dish soap. I spray the mixture from the bottom and
undersides of the leaves to the top. Then spray the top of the all leaves
down to the bottom of the plant. Spray to the point of run off and cover
all areas. Wait 15 minutes and spray with clean room temperature water
starting at the top of the plant, be sure to spray the undersides of the
leaves. Repeat this 3 times with-in 10 days to kill the life cycle of the
mealies. This takes longer to tell how to do it than to do it, 30 seconds a
plant if I am working slow.
This works for mealies, scale, mites and most insects. As I understand it
the bugs drown, the soap reduces the surface tension of the water allowing
it to enter the trachea. The alcohol removes the waxy covering that some
bugs have, allowing the soapy water in to do the job.
This has always worked for me with no harm to any plants.
All the best
Don