Eeek...I found a mealy bug!

[Becca]

Aahhhh! I found a mealy bug on my Aerangis luteo-alba var. rhodosticta project plant! I am still trying to figure out how it got there.....it is the only one I have found and I don't see any signs on the other 'chids and have been eyeballing them closely! I know there has to be more somewhere, it isn't possible for just one! I sprayed with GardenSafe Insecticidal Spray...went back later and found the same little bugger in the same spot all fuzzy and fluffy looking and I thought I had got him so I wipped him off with an alcohol dipped q-tip.

Now how the heck did this dude make it into my small orchidarium? Only one thing I can think of....the orchid sitter said she had been battling them off and on in her Greenhouse....but that was the end of August....why haven't I seen any until now, a month later?

[L-Dub]

Have you put any new plants in the orchidarium in the last few months? It takes a while for them to get big, and they don't cause a lot of damage until there is an infestation, so you probably wouldn't notice a few bugs for quite a while.

I bought a phal at the local orchid society auction in July, and I didn't notice that it had mealy bugs and scale until about six weeks later when things started to get bad.

I try to "quarantine" new plants when I get them, but I'm running out of growing space so I don't have a good quarantine area anymore. It's always a good idea to carefully examine new plants when they arrive...but you will still miss seeing the bugs if they are small.

Good luck getting rid of the bugs!

Bryan

[Becca]

Hi Bryan

Nope, no new plants in the orchidarium....the only new plants I have gotten lately are the two mystery project plants from Andy's Orchids and they went into the larger orchidarium. No signs of anything in the larger orchidarium either...just the one in the smaller orchidarium....I have heard that mealies don't like humid places, is this true?

[Ross]

Originally Posted by Becca

I have heard that mealies don't like humid places, is this true?

That's not my experience. It's true of lots of the mites which seem to explode in drier environments, but Mealies seem to like just about any environment. I don't understand why the Garden Safe didn't kill it. Are you sure it was still alive when you nuked it with the q-tip? Just wonderin. I'm pretty sure the Garden Safe got all the youn-uns, but you need to retreat 3 times a week apart to be sure. I'f gotten scale under control this way, but just never seems to leaves me alone

[Becca]

Thanks Ross! I'll be sure to retreat three times a week apart. I am treating the other's in the small orchidarium as well just incase. Not really sure if it was alive when I nuked it with the Q-tip...lol...I didn't see it moving, but it sure fluffed up again after the 'chid dried from it's spray.

Thanks for the help!