ORCHIDS IN LAVA ROCK?

[Leafmite]

We don't have cockroaches like that, thankfully. That is probably the only real advantage of living where winters are absolutely miserable.
I use the basket pots so that helps a great deal on eliminating good hiding places.
I get the ants living in my non-orchids. Usually I just set out some baits or soak the pots overnight and the ants are gone but last fall, there was some type of tiny ant that didn't touch the baits and didn't drown. Granular rose system, watered into the soil very well, finished them off.

I have contemplated becoming a year-round indoor grower someday, though. It is really a pain to carry the plants inside and outside and with the crazy weather we've been having these past ten years, I just don't know if it is worth it any more. I tried lights this winter with the orchids and had a spider mite problem for the first time. I need to find a way to get the humidity higher under those lights. I might try a clear plastic drop cloth over the growing area this winter and see if that helps.

[MrHappyRotter]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

I tried lights this winter with the orchids and had a spider mite problem for the first time. I need to find a way to get the humidity higher under those lights. I might try a clear plastic drop cloth over the growing area this winter and see if that helps.

I've also had to deal with mites in the past, and they are something awful. They are a serious issue, and require significant effort to combat, but I *think* I've over come them.

Initial phase of treatment is a combination of contact and systemic pesticides, alternated treatment. The organic and natural stuff isn't enough, go for the big guns. Repeat every 10 - 14 days, per instructions of whatever solution you use, make sure you check the label to make sure what you're using is effective against mites.

After primary treatment is done, neem or other horticultural oils used regularly as a preventative are sufficient. I prefer neem because it seems to also help with bacterial/fungal issues. If you catch the mites early enough, neem will knock them out, and you may not even need to reach for the permethrin or other options. Do your research though, since neem apparently can damage some plants.

You are correct that humidity is an important part of prevention, but even that may not always be enough. My collection is now large enough that keeping humidity above 50% isn't so hard these days, but when it drops, my weapon of choice is an ultrasonic humidifier with 1.2 gallon reservoir.