Creepy bug on plant when I changed pots...looked like a millipede maybe?

[cyberbrat]

I just potted my phal into another pot and after I cut off roots that were dry and snapping like twigs...and rinsed the root ball. Well I had it stabalized in the new pot and then saw this disturbing creepy crawly thing. It was about an inch long (max) one millimeter wide (very thin)...had lots of legs, a deep cinnamon red color and was moving in a zig zag pattern up the leaf. It got away from me...I could not take a picture, catch it...or even find it. Not that I would want to.

Now what do I do? Do I treat the plant for bugs? What could it have been? It was so small but very fast. How disgusting.

The media was clumps of bark and fine dirt...but then I did find sections packed in the roots that were long, stringy and yellowing. This was not a good experience.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

Cyberbrat

[JennS]

What did you find sections of packed in the roots when you repotted? Do you mean sections of bugs?

It does sound like a millipede though. What are do you live in? Do you grow indoors or out? If it is a millipede I wouldn't worry too much. I don't think they are really harmful, but I am not positive. I have seen them in my plants when repotting and just sho them away. I haven't noticed any negative effects from them. If you are concerned though you can try a Pest control product. I generally use a product called malathion to treat any pests I have discovered, but I am sure others can recommend other products as well. I have had good luck with it, but I don't know if it is really "approved" for orchids. Also, there was another post somewhere (can't recall where though) that was just from yesterday talking about millipedes also. If I can find it I will post here.

On a side note, I would make sure you are not using regular dirt or potting soil in any orchids that are epiphytes. If you have a terrestrial orchid they could stand some dirt in the mix, but a phal should be in a medium that allows air to get to the roots.

[cyberbrat]

Thanks JennS for the reply. It is a Phal and in the roots it looked like clumps of rotted moss maybe? It was packed in clumps in the middle of the root ball...I picked the pieces out of the roots. The potting media was dense and it did not seem like the roots had air. The roots themselves had sections that were very brittle (I cut those off). It was after I rinsed the remaining potting mixture off the dirt and placed it in the new pot I saw that one bug running up the leaf. I saw no other bugs of any kind during the entire process. It was very thin...I googled millipedes and centipede but could not tell what it really was. I put the phal in LECA...I am going to move away from traditional soil potting media. I did not put this in the S/H forum since it was the bug tha really freaked me out!

I bought this Phal at a grocery store so did not know how healthy it would be. I went to a local nursery and all their orchids looked sickly (and no clear plastic so I could see the roots). I am going to start shopping online...since I am such a beginner to orchids I am trying to keep the two phals that I have going.

Thanks again!

cyberbrat

Originally Posted by JennS

What did you find sections of packed in the roots when you repotted? Do you mean sections of bugs?

It does sound like a millipede though. What are do you live in? Do you grow indoors or out? If it is a millipede I wouldn't worry too much. I don't think they are really harmful, but I am not positive. I have seen them in my plants when repotting and just sho them away. I haven't noticed any negative effects from them. If you are concerned though you can try a Pest control product. I generally use a product called malathion to treat any pests I have discovered, but I am sure others can recommend other products as well. I have had good luck with it, but I don't know if it is really "approved" for orchids. Also, there was another post somewhere (can't recall where though) that was just from yesterday talking about millipedes also. If I can find it I will post here.

On a side note, I would make sure you are not using regular dirt or potting soil in any orchids that are epiphytes. If you have a terrestrial orchid they could stand some dirt in the mix, but a phal should be in a medium that allows air to get to the roots.