Whats eating my dendrobium buds? image

[sonius]

pleae help; I need to know whats eating my dendrobium flower buds.. image attached:
I live in Sydney Australia

[PaphMadMan]

I don't know what pests are common in your part of the world, but if I saw that kind of damage here I would be looking for earwigs.

[RosieC]

My first throught was also earwigs. I had something similar on a Onc Alliance orchid recently and finally tracked down a large earwig living in the bark.

[Rosiefuture]

Hi Sonius, welcome to the OB

I'm in Perth and I've noticed there are lot of hairy caterpillars about at the moment. They can decimate an orchid over night............along with the blasted 28 parrots that chew my geranium baskets to bits!

Also baby snails do heaps of damage. I don't like killing insects in general but if they are on my orchids they are fair game! Squish!!!

Marion

[Wokeye]

Hi Sonius, I am on the NSW North Coast and have the same problem but have not been able to find the culprit!! I dowsed my plants with pyrethrum in an attempt not to loose any more buds, hope it works!!

[Baz in Oz]

Sonius, I suspect you are playing host to Dendrobium beetles @ pumpkin beetles @ little b....

Have a look for yellow or black spotted yellow beetles about 10mm long. They also lay eggs on flower spikes and the grubs take over where mum and dad leave off.

Treatment? Finger and thumb are hard to beat but they are slippery little &%#@+ and drop as soon as they are disturbed. Cup one hand under them when going in for the kill.

Baz