Aphids on My Asco Bloom Spikes!

[Cattleya17]

Hey this is he first blooming on my Ascocentrum Ampullaceum and it has three bloom spikes! not today i saw an aphid land on it! i killed it but that's the only one i noticed! so what can i do? what can i use that is safe for orchids! and where can i get it?

[mspatt]

Try Bayer 3 in 1! It comes pre-mixed in a spray bottle . It is a systemic insecticide that will not hurt your chids. I got it at Wal-Mart, but any lawn and garden center should carry it. The different labels can be confusing--look for 3 in 1 and your chid will be fine...

[WhiteRabbit]

aphids can also be washed off with water spray
a bit of dish soap in some water in a spray bottle should also work

[camille1585]

If that's the only one, I think you're fine. Chances are it was just a winged female who left her overpopulated colony somewhere in search of better feeding. Just keep an eye on it for a while, and try the soapy water first if you start to see more. It seems a bit extreme to me to pull out the big gun systemics for only 1 aphid.

[Cattleya17]

True true! i can wait on the big guns i suppose. um can you give me an idea of the soap to water ratio i dont wanna over do it. i have two rose bushes just beyond the deck where my orchids are summering i think it came from them. i havent seen anymore quite yet still though, summer just began and im sure they will find my orchids very tasty as more come into bloom. i think the soapy water for now will be good. I always wanna break out the heavy stuff when bugs threaten my babies!

[camille1585]

I don't remember how much soap I put, since I haven't used that tactic in a while. Maybe Rabbit can tell you. One thing though, the soapy water will not work preventatively, so no point spraying if you don't see anything. The spray works because the soap sticks to the insect, making the water stick to it, and it's a bit sticky for the insect to get out of and then the aphid drowns. I've never tried it on aphids, but it worked wonders when we had fruit flies everywhere in the kitchen.

[WhiteRabbit]

hmm - I just put a few drops - 10 maybe? _ in sprayer bottle. I also have rubbing alcohol in the mix - tho that may not be good for buds. A small amount probably wouldn't hurt, tho may not be helpful either but will help keep the soap from sudsing up

neem oil and orange guard also work well but don't know if they harm buds tho did spray some cym buds lightly with orange guard last year with no ill effects