Water on paph blooms?

[Onyx]

I bought my first paph (delenatii) about this time last week. I'd specifically requested one not yet blooming because I didn't want the pretty flower to get damaged in transport when I was done visiting family (4 hour drive, agh). It's a beautiful plant, and can't wait to see the flowers! After I download my pictures, I may post one.

I didn't see anything wrong with it until this morning when I went over to poke at my plant collection and spotted aphids attacking the bud! Not that many --maybe like 4 adult ones and a collection of smaller ones. If there were only a couple of them on the plant when I got it, I'm not surprised I missed them due to its variegation -- green bugs resemble green spots pretty well from a distance. Either way, I certainly don't want them spreading to anything.

I removed the ones on there by wiping them off with a wet tissue but I was wondering, can you safely wash paph blooms off under running water without damaging them? Are there any restrictions about trying to keep it from being too hot/cold, or making sure to dry it off afterwards? Being able to just wash them off under the faucet would certainly be easier. I'm at least going to try getting rid of them just by war of attrition before going to chemicals since it isn't a huge infestation -- seemed to work with fungus gnats at least.

I'm mostly just paranoid because I had what now looks to be water damage on one of my African Violets, causing me to have a mite panic. But, after some examination, water damage is seeming more and more likely on those. But better to be paranoid than to infect an entire collection, I'd suppose!

[WhiteRabbit]

I don't have experience with water on Paph blooms - I have used water to remove bugs on other orchid blooms. In those cases, there was no damage - used tepid water (neither warm nor cool - around the same temp as the air)

Hopefully someone can answer specifically in regards to Paphs.

[NYCorchidman]

Do you observe your orchids daily?
If yes, and you suddenly spotted the aphids, then it's more likely that those little bugger came in from outside.
Do you leave the windows open?

I leave my windows open a lot except for winter, of course. I get all kinds of bugs coming into my apartment. I do see aphids every now and then, but I kill them as I find them during my daily "inspection" of my plants. back and front of all the leaves. lol

Anyways, if you do leave your window open, you might want to do what I do.
In the meantime, you took those aphids off the bud and usually that's the end of it for aphids.

Washing the buds with water do not harm any orchid buds really as long as it is done carefully and with common sense. Rather than hurting the bud itself, you're more likely to break the bud off the spike, I would say.

The worst scenario, let's say the aphids you got rid of, have already laid some eggs on the buds. I don't think you will successfully remove them with gently washing anyways.
The best will be keeping a close eye on the bud for any presence again.

so, again, it comes down to daily inspection and kill them as you go.

[Onyx]

Yeah. I had just gotten back from a trip though, so have been kind of disorganized and skipped a couple of days of close exams. Ugh! Only now pretty much getting back to normal. Found one more aphid one day, a day of nothing, and another three or so today. No idea where they're hiding, though. I just hope that I'm removing them fast enough that they don't really have time to set up a family. Not seeing them anywhere except on that one spike -- haven't seen any on the second spike.

The grower I got it from is basically on the edge of town, so I would assume that it would be pretty easy for stuff to come adventuring in if it really wanted to -- there's enough surrounding wilderness that bugs would definitely happen. I don't think the kitchen windows were ever open at my parents' place, so unless my mom's plants had a secret infestation that only spread to my newest plant, not the other ones I brought with me and kept there longer, I'm pretty sure these buggers came with it.

Kind of feel bad for my plant though, 'cause it's not getting the light it should have here, if my African violets complaining about it is any sign. It's been foggy, which hasn't helped, either. I do have a tiny plant light on the paph it as a supplement. I think it's probably older than me (mom gave me it, haha), and has maybe a 6" T5 bulb. So it adds maybe another 100 lumens to the shady side if one believes what replacement bulbs say.

Something might be chomping on the bark, it looks like, too. There some stuff that translates as bug poo to me that has fallen into the tray beneath it. Mini wood pellets -- they're about the same size as the aphids, actually. I would imagine that'd probably be easily fixed by repotting in fresh mix. AFTER it blooms, though. Unless I start having a B-movie being reenacted in my plant area.

Glad to know the water probably won't hurt it, though. Hopefully I don't end up needing anything more than a damp tissue though, haha. No infestations please!

[NYCorchidman]

Yeah, daily inspection is the way to go.
Spring and summer are high seasons for aphids, well, for any bugs and life in general.
Aphids fly at certain stage, but even then, they are mostly carried in the wind.
They can easily come inside through open windows. Land on any yummy plants. Flower buds and growing tips are especially good spots as they are tender, easier to attack, and probably tastier.
If you are finding one or even a few ever few days, they most likely came in from outside.
The eggs take at least a few days to hatch and the larvae need time (more than just a few days) to reach the adult size to be easily seen.

I have one cattleya from Hawaii last year that keeps leaving these tiny dark granule thingy on the saucer. I need to repot and that hopefully be the end of it, whatever it is.

Regarding light, paphs are almost always described as low light orchid and this is very misleading as many people think low light is the same as shade.
I find paphs need quite a bit of light to grow properly.
In the wild, they are often shaded by other plants, but still live in very very bright condition.

If your African violets are not flowering this time of the year because they are not getting enough light, then paphs are definitely not getting enough light.

With your supplemental light, it should be fine, I would think.

Watch the new leaves grow. If they "stand up" and are not as large as older leaves, then they need more light.

[Onyx]

Sort of sounds like your cattleya has the same thing as my paph (and my onc, but I repotted those, so I think it's gone). I do wonder what it is! At least it doesn't seem interested in eating the plants, haha.

I was getting some upward-reaching leaves on one of my semiminiatures, which theoretically require more light than their bigger cousins if I recall right. Moved them back to the real lights since then. I do know this quarantine spot isn't ideal for my flowering plants, but hoping with the tiny light it'll be fine 'til I'm sure the aphids are gone.

This is day 2 of no aphids. I figure if I go two weeks without seeing any, they're probably gone and I can move the paph back where all the others are with the normal light where everything seems pretty happy. I think by then the oldest bud will probably be open! Looks like I'll be getting at least two flowers on on the one spike. The other is only a couple inches tall so it's hard to tell. They certainly grow fast!

[Onyx]

Still no aphids, but now I have a new problem. Orchid snails! My super healthy looking plant apparently came with a wide variety of tiny hitchhikers.

I picked off about five of the little buggers off the top surface of the bark. Even worse, I don't drink coffee so I don't have that around -- well, my roommate might have some. I'll have to ask her. Somehow I don't think running a can of pepsi through the bark would be desirable either! Haha. I'm really glad this plant is basically moat-ed and off on its own.

I am really starting to see the appeal of semi-hydro. I'd assume LECA doesn't come with bugs! And even better in that there's nothing for springtails to eat when it's all clay and similar. Would basically repotting into S/H after a close exam and light scrub of the roots get rid of said snails plus their eggs? Because if so that's SO TEMPTING since I have to repot anyway to get rid of the barkmunching whateverbug is in there. Would anything happen to the buds & blooms if I did it sooner rather than later?

First fungus gnats, then springtails, then aphids, then snails. I hate bugs. Well, at least everything is a relatively new acquisition -- not entirely my fault!