Mealybugs!

[Anee]

I just found out that the orchid I got from a grocery store did not have root rot from over-watering... it's mealybugs. I threw the damn thing out 'cause I can't stand the thought of trying to deal with creepy little microscopic bugs and it's probably too late anyway.

What I want to ask is, how likely is it that they spread to my other orchids??? Do that fly?! Jump?! I'm horrified. I don't even want to take them out of the pot to find out >_<

& do they settle anywhere else or just plants? o___O The orchids are at the head of my bed....... I hope some didn't get in our hair errrg I'm itching now.

[orchidsarefun]

they are relentless crawlers......ever hear of creepy-crawlies.....the phrase comes from mealy bugs.
JUST KIDDING ! you made me laugh.
If I was you, I'd get an orchid-friendly spray as I can't see you painting each one individually with alcohol to kill them !

[glengary54]

Anee - Mealy bugs would not have caused the same type of damage that rotten roots would. Mealy bugs are not micoscopic, they are fluffy white insects that you can easily see with the naked eye. You may have thrown your plant away for nothing.

[Anee]

Lol really? I'm not retarded I was just freaking out and worded myself incorrectly. Of course I saw them! My skin is still crawling. Don't worry, I know for a fact this was a mealy infestation.

[Bud]

unless you have nectar on your hair or sap...then the mealies will crawl on your body...
theres nothing to be scared about.
get the plant back from the trash:
isolate it from the other plants...

try this homemade bug mix

10 drops of dish soap(any kind)
1/2 teaspoon of cinammon extract(find it in the supermarket ailse with vanilla and almond extract Mc Kormick is the brand I have)
2 cups of tepid water from the sink
mix it and spray the whole plant then soak the pot in a basin of this mix for 5 min
repeat it the next week...have 2 weeks rest and then repeat it again for 2 weeks until the bugs are all gone
I spray it on cockroaches,ants, spiders... mosquitos and flies fall to the floor in mid flight when hit with the mix...
I got that mix from another forum...last year...it worked for me and its only fair that I share it with everyone.

[mattryan]

Anee svs for your loss, but you are gonna be spending alot on replacement orchids if you throw them out everytime you get mealy bugs. I have picked them up and haven't purchased an orchid in months...who knows how I got them, but they are probably the easiest to get rid of. I understand I don't like anything that crawls period. There are some really easy remedies on the net as well as previous post, so you don't have to get up close and personal with them, good luck!

I hope it's not too late to save your orchid

Cheryl

[grasshopper]

Bud - I tried your homemade bug mix a few weeks ago and it worked like a charm. I used to use a commercial pesticide, which really bothered me since I have cats and a little girl who LOVES to help me with the orchids...I worried about the fumes/chemicals in the house. I was pleased to find that the soapy-cinnamon mix worked just as well, and smelled a whole lot better to boot! Thanks for sharing it with us!

[Bud]

you are most welcome, grasshopper...

it is non toxic to mammals but deadly to insects

[Connie Star]

I've had several plants get mealy bugs. I don't know how they got into my collection but they show up periodically(I have 75-80 plants). They tend to show up in folds of leaves.
I use various treatments. One thing you can do is buy some of the alcohol wipes that diabetics use for cleaning skin before injecting insulin. You can fold them into the crevices and they instantly kill the mealies. I've also used Safer soap. It's essentially an easier, although more expensive, version of Buds recipe. It's perfectly safe (as long as you don't spray it in the face) but it drys your hands. Just wash it off your hands frequently. Safer is actually a brand. It's also great for aphids, my other nemesis.
My third problem, brought in with a plant from a vendor I will never buy from again is scale. For that I've used pyrethrin spray (a botanical).
I've resigned myself to living with these 3 pests and just monitoring for them and trying to treat early.
By the way, Anee, Welcome!

[Anee]

Originally Posted by mattryan

you are gonna be spending alot on replacement orchids if you throw them out everytime you get mealy bugs. I have picked them up and haven't purchased an orchid in months...who knows how I got them, but they are probably the easiest to get rid of.

Wait... so even if I purchase a clean orchid, there's still a chance that it will get mealybugs? Inside? How? o_O

& if I spray my entire plant with solution won't it get crown rot??

&& thank you for the Welcome, Connie =]