Undeveloped buds

[Christine1227]

Hi,
Was wondering if anyone could help me to understand why buds on a new phal spike suddenly stop developing and dry/die off.

Attached are a few photos. I am in South Florida and my orchids live outdoors on a east facing shelf shaded with 3-4 layers of window screening. I have four in spike but only two that have this issue. Could it be due to watering? The crazy winter weather we have (cool 60s for a day or two and sudden warm up back to 80)? Bugs?

Thanks!

[jkofferdahl]

The most likely cause of the bud blast , I would think, be caused by the low temperatures, which I presume are daytime temperatures. How low did it drop at night?

[estación seca]

In south Florida it could also be thrips, which are tiny little bugs that love to feast on buds. Use the search feature here in the upper maroon bar and type in thrips to read more.

[Christine1227]

It's weird, it's just one bud on two different spikes.

I get a breeze in my yard as I live on a lakefront, so when the short "cold" fronts came through, it was probably just under 50 at night and 65 or so during the day. These things barely last and it can easily hit 70, 80 in 48 hours. I usually bring them inside if it gets in the 50s at night but wondered if the rapid warm up got to two of the buds.

There is a little brown anole that's been living in my orchid shelf... Was hoping he would control thrips for me.

[estación seca]

A cold blast like that could have done it. A thrips might be too small for an anole to bother with.

[bil]

I often get a single bud drop like that it doesn't seem a biggie.