Ladybugs vs. Spider Mites - Orchid Board

K-Sci · #1 10-20-2021, 08:00 PM

Saturday I found that a phalaenopsis I just bought from Norman's Orchids was heavily infested with spider mites. The damage they caused on the bottoms of the leaves is shown in the first photo. I wiped down the infested plant with 91% isopropyl alcohol and a cotton pad.

I couldn't find any mites on the other phalaenopsis that shipped in the same box or the neighbors of the infested plant. To be on the safe side, I bought 2000 Ladybugs on Amazon. Today I let them go in my greenhouse to clean up any mites or small insects I may have missed.

Interestingly, the ladybugs are giving a lot of attention to the area of the roots on the affected plant. This is shown in the second photo.

What similar remedies have all y'all used to control insects/mites? I know predatory mites, also available for sale, are another means to control orchid sucking mites, but they would be eaten by the Ladybugs.

-Keith

DirtyCoconuts · #2 10-20-2021, 08:43 PM

Go to
Natures good guys

Awesome website for beneficial insects and fauna

I buy about 2000 lady bugs a year. Maybe 15 mantis sacks and a few lacewings egg sacks.

Beneficial nematodes on the years I grow in the ground. (Rarely)

They destroy white fly and aphids

Mantis on a colony of mealy bugs is like a Godzilla movie lol

estación seca · #3 10-20-2021, 08:56 PM

The like warm temperatures and low humidity. A water spray kills the eggs and knocks adults off the plants, up to which they cannot crawl.

If you spray the entire collection, upper and lower surfaces of leaves, with water, once a week or two, it will kill the eggs, and many adults. This keeps the population under control. During times of year when it's too cool to get everything wet they're generally not too active. The humidity is probably fairly high in a closed growing room in winter anyway.

K-Sci · #4 10-21-2021, 09:23 PM

I couldn't find any on other plants, but I'm sure with this pest there are at least some here and there, just not out of control. In S-Central Mississippi it is 84F/64F right now, and that tracks pretty close with the inside of the greenhouse. That's not exactly hot, nor is if very cool.

I'm going to keep an eye on it for a while anyway.

-Keith

Leafmite · #5 10-22-2021, 02:08 PM

Every spring, I order lady bugs and lacewing eggs after putting my plants outside. Usually, in autumn, a few lady bug larvae/eggs come in with the plants and provide control (I grow on shelves i a sliding glass doorway). This fall, I found lacewing larvae on some of my plants but I hope there will also be some lady bug larvae, too. The lady bugs will stay close to the plants and will continue the cycle through the winter, providing me with control but I am not sure what the lacewings will do....

Clawhammer · #6 10-22-2021, 04:22 PM

Get ready to be yelled at if you are planning on asking for a refund. Worst vendor out there.

K-Sci · #7 10-22-2021, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leafmite

Every spring, I order lady bugs and lacewing eggs after putting my plants outside. Usually, in autumn, a few lady bug larvae/eggs come in with the plants and provide control (I grow on shelves i a sliding glass doorway). This fall, I found lacewing larvae on some of my plants but I hope there will also be some lady bug larvae, too. The lady bugs will stay close to the plants and will continue the cycle through the winter, providing me with control but I am not sure what the lacewings will do....

It's good to hear that they I should expect them to continue to eat the pests.

-Keith

---------- Post added at 09:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:27 PM ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clawhammer

Get ready to be yelled at if you are planning on asking for a refund. Worst vendor out there.

No, I'm not going to contact them. The plant was easily treated, but I have heard a lot of bad things about Norman's orchids.
-Keith