Scale on orchids

[dmacch]

What do the growers on this forum use to treat scale effectively on your orchids? I had a bunch of phals in the greenhouse last spring that were doing great and I treated them two consecutive weeks with Bayer rose and garden systemic. Within a couple of weeks after the second treatment all their leaves started shriveling up and I basically lost all of them. I can't figure out if I just overwatered them in my zeal to rid them of the scale, the moss was still moist when I treated them a second time, or the systemic I used poisoned them. Any thoughts on this? Thanks

[Gin]

Was it the spray on Bayer in the blue bottle ? or the Bayer Tree and Shrub ? I have used one or the other with no problem the Tree and shrub diluted as a drench or the other in the blue bottle as a leaf spray . Gin

[dmacch]

It was the rose and garden drench

[cb977]

I use a 50/50 mix of rubbing alcohol and 409 cleaner.
Spray it on and wipe those little buggers away.
I usually give it another spray and then rinse a few days later.

[orchids3]

I have used Bayer Tree and shrub without a problem and it did a good job but they changed the formula to include a fertilizer later on - I and not sure about the new formulation.
Dog shampoo mixed with alcohol and water does a good job. Get cheap shampoo with no lanolin.Use one part shampoo and one part alcohol and 8 parts water. I sometimes use a little ultrafine horticultural oil as well but beware using the oil iwhen the temperature is over 80

[Lagoon]

I was just about to suggest the horti-oil aswell.

[wgama]

I picked them off my chids then I had them and soked em in rubbing alchohol a couple times. that got rid of em

[orchids3]

Yes controlling scale on a few plants can be done with a close watch and even a larger collection but the problem is differant for 4500 to 5000 plants when a problem is over looked for a while. Thats why hand watering is important - look closely at each plant as you water it and take corrective action immediately - its easier. Its real trouble if it gets out of control even a little. Scale is a problem I paticularly hate. It takes persistance to keep it controlled.

[quiltergal]

You need to treat the larval stage down in the media as well as the leaves. Otherwise it just keeps coming back.

[johnblagg]

I like permethrin myself kills on contact and is residual as well.I have used it on catts and paphs as well as my phaius ....basicly the same as some dog shampoos.

I use it as a drench and a spray but I do silute it more than it says on the lable.