Is it really spinder mites?

[Becca]

Hi everyone!

I had a friend over from my local orchid society and we noticed one of my paph's (Paph. Macbre) well established in s/h not looking so hot on the old fan and on some of the newer mature fans (it has about 3 fans total). The description of damage, the older fan leaves are yellowing and one leaf is turning brown, I figured this was part of it's natural aging process and losing leaves because it has two other fans (one that has bloomed and one hasn't) and are rootless without the mother plant.

Anyways...on the other two fans we noticed an orange-ish pitting on the underside of the leaves. My friend tried taping the leaves over a piece of white paper and showing me the tiny dots that are supposed to be spider mites. I believe him, but this is in my large orchidarium with humidity 70% to 90% and I thought spider mites didn't like living in high humidity. He also told me I wouldn't really be able to see them with my eye, other then looking like a dot, because they are so small. Well the next day on another orchid that doesn't appear to have any damage, I saw a little orange red bugger running on a leaf so I quickly sprayed it with insecticide. This is in my large orchidarium, only the one plant is showing the signs of damage but I am going to spray the entire collection in the large orchidarium anyways, but how are they living in my high humidity? And what should I do for treating the potting medium, I am sure they are in the potting medium as well, and will they be in the s/h culture potting medium too with it's moistness? I am so confused? I have a lot of plants to treat, the spraying of leaves isn't a problem, but how do I treat the potting medium, I don't think I would have enough to dunk all the pots of potting medium in insecticide?

Sorry this is so long!