Thinking of quitting the orchid hobby

[camille1585]

I haven't been around much, mostly because I don't have anything to contribute in the forums.

As the title says, I'm wondering if it isn't time to call it quits. Not because I'm not interesting in or have no time for orchids, but because I'm at the end of my rope.

I've been battling mealy bugs for years (well over a decade) and I'm now fed up. Keeping them under control used to be sufficient, but now they also transmit some disease which killed off most of my Phals, and whatever new Phals I get are diseased within a year. As those of you who knew me from years ago, I love Phals, my passion in the hobby was collecting species and primary hybrids.

So I had to stop with Phals, and now have odds and ends of Catts, Phrags/Paphs, Oncs. But those don't do the same thing for me that Phals did. And as soon as they flower, the mealies are all over them, it's disgusting and demotivating.

I've tried cleaning everying (shelves, saucers, pots), treated the plants multiple times but I just can't get rid of mealies. My Howea forsteriana palm is full of them. My curtains are full of the egg sacs or whatever those are. They're under the sofa cushions. They're on a rolled up zipper in my sewing box. They're EVERYWHERE. I don't think I can get rid of them without throwing out every single last plant I have.