Good News Bad News

[Royal]

I stand corrected.

Still, do you think a roach bored a hole in this p-bulb? I guess it could have, but I do know that an inch-worm looking caterpillar has hollowed out unopened dendrobium buds before they even opened. I didn't notice it until the next flower up on the spike opened. I thought, "hmm, why isn't this one opening." Upon further examination, there was a little hole. The worm was still in there eating away! They do the same thing to my roses.

Physical pest control (squashing them) is the most satisfying for me now.

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by RoyalOrchids

Oh c'mon. "Palmetto bug" is just a fancy name for a ROACH!

I doubt that a roach (or palmetto bug) made that hole. They don't munch on fresh, green, live plants do they?

After doing a little on-line research it appears that roaches have been known to do extensive damage to the leaves and bulbs of orchids. From viewing photos, the fellow I found on my Onc. appears to be a Florida Woods Roach. I think "Palmetto Bug" and "Big A#@ Roach" is a term many Floridian's use to describe large 2" outdoor flying roaches and given the chance they will come indoors for a visit. I googled "Palmetto Bug" and came up with a description of a ucky looking weevil that invades the trunks of Palms and Palmettos and causes severe damage and death of the plant. This is not the type of Palmetto bug I saw.

I must tell you guys a true Palmetto Bug story. Many years ago I was awakened at night by a scratching/grinding noise. The noise would stop every time I turned on the lights and commence again when the light was extinguished. I was baffled by the source of the annoying sound and quietly listened in the darkness. It appeared to be coming from a near by dresser so I turned on the lights, the noise stopped again, and I searched the dresser drawers and found nothing. Frustrated and tired, I went back to bed and once again the lights went out the noise began. This time I got up and moved the dresser away from the wall. Underneath there was a peach seed being snacked on by a very large Palmetto Bug. The seed must have been discarded by one of my children and was now picked clean with absolutely no trace of fruit left behind and the bug will never awaken anyone again.

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by Junebug

The good news is my Onc. has three 3" spikes and a 4th newly emerging spike. This will be it's first blooms produced under my TLC.

The bad news is she has an approximate 1/2" deep hole in a spike producing pseudobulb. I'm suspecting a slug or snail, but am not familiar with their damage or how to treat if that is the case.

She's currently in s/h culture and grown outside on a table well off the ground. Recently we've received alot of rain and the s/h pellets are very moist at the top of the pot. She has one yellowed leaf at the junction of a spike on a different pseudobulb. I'm suspecting too much moisture for this ailment and emptied the reserve today to let things dry out a bit.

I read up on slug damage and found an OB post that suggested submerging the entire plant in water. Under normal circumstances I would do this, but the plant has been exposed to alot of moisture recently and I don't want to cause more harm than good. I've thoroughly checked the plant and can find no evidence of any other fresh damage or pests. Any suggestions on how to proceed?

I was very concerned when I discovered a rather large hole in the bulb of my Onc. A Palmetto Bug was the culprit. I tried catching him but he scurried away and within hours he had created more damage next to the hole he had created and to make matters worse, a spike was broken in the process. I received alot of suggestions on how to get rid of the bug. I didn't feel a systemic pesticide would be effective on such a hardy insect, so I eventually opted to try something more forbidden. I coated the tip of a q-tip with a couple of squirts of Raid Max and swabbed the inside of the hole along with a 1/2" border surrounding the hole. Then I held my breath. The treatment solved the problem and did no apparent damage to the plant. By this time the Onc. had 3 young spikes and the left over stub of the one I knocked off. A few days later I was moving the plant out of the rain and managed to break another spike. I've learned from this fiasco that Oncidiums spikes are very fragile. Here is a recent photo of the two remaining spikes. This will be her first blooms while under my care.

[Royal]

Nice Job! Gotta experiment to learn.

I do believe you about the Palmetto Roach Bug Beetle Weevil, especially that they would eat ANYTHING. Doesn't surprise me. We have giant bugs here in TX, I think some of our roaches might eat steak every night!

But, I had another worm/caterpillar experience this week. I'm telling you, these things are small and sneaky, and burrow holes just like the one you posted. These are the same kind that will much my on unopened rose buds. Anyway, My Cymbidium ensifolium is in full bloom right now. I was sitting on the porch, enjoying it's frangrance, whie I noticed that two flowers where not fully opening. I leaned in the investigate and saw a little hole in the base of one of the sepals. I pulled back the dorsal petal to reveal a little inch-worm, munching away! Turns out he was already on his second flower! These guys are pretty small, and seem to take on the color of whatever they are eating, so it's hard to see them until you notice their damage.

Do we know what roach, pardon me, Palmetto Bug damage looks like? I'm still not totally convinced that a detritivore burrowed that tunnel. Whatever it was - you got it! Looking forward to the flower pics!

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by RoyalOrchids

Nice Job! Gotta experiment to learn.

I do believe you about the Palmetto Roach Bug Beetle Weevil, especially that they would eat ANYTHING. Doesn't surprise me. We have giant bugs here in TX, I think some of our roaches might eat steak every night!

But, I had another worm/caterpillar experience this week. I'm telling you, these things are small and sneaky, and burrow holes just like the one you posted. These are the same kind that will much my on unopened rose buds. Anyway, My Cymbidium ensifolium is in full bloom right now. I was sitting on the porch, enjoying it's frangrance, whie I noticed that two flowers where not fully opening. I leaned in the investigate and saw a little hole in the base of one of the sepals. I pulled back the dorsal petal to reveal a little inch-worm, munching away! Turns out he was already on his second flower! These guys are pretty small, and seem to take on the color of whatever they are eating, so it's hard to see them until you notice their damage.

Do we know what roach, pardon me, Palmetto Bug damage looks like? I'm still not totally convinced that a detritivore burrowed that tunnel. Whatever it was - you got it! Looking forward to the flower pics!

I have two orchid books that describe a roaches damage as devastating with considerable damage. They are known to attack all parts of the plant. I guess my photo depicts the damage a roach can inflict. I had emersed the plant in water and he was the only critter that revealed himself. I tried to catch him but he disappeared from my view deep inside the foliage. A few hours later I discovered new damage to the exterior of the bulb just outside the tunnel, but once again I could not locate the roach. I had tried mushing around the hole and the bulb was still firm. The Raid soaked q-tip could be inserted about 1/2" into the bulb. The diameter and depth of the hole was large enough for the roach to get about 1/2 way inside. I figured that if he kept coming back and working on the same area the bulb would surely be destroyed. I only treated his favorite snack area and would never recommend spraying any plant with a harsh insecticide. This was a desperate attempt and soley done as a spot treatment. Thank goodness it worked.

[Royal]

You can't argue with results! I'll have to remember that one. Your last post was so descriptive, it kind of gave me the creeps! You have a talent for writing.

[priz_m]

Oh Junebug is great to hear you got rid of that pesky bug!