Some little annoyances - Orchid Board

Jeff9 · #1 02-19-2011, 05:24 PM

I have never really had any pest problem at all, ever.
I check my plants really well and i check new plants really well also, i remount / replant everything that i receive.

Somehow some annoying bugs sneaked into my tank, i believe it happened with an order from a german nursery i ordered from in 2010.

I noticed at first by some aerial roots from my m. tenuifolia 'tuilerie' appearing eaten at the nubs and turning black after a while.
It seems there is a few hundred really extremely tiny fly/mite like insects crawling all over 2 or three of the potted plants, they are barely visible with the eye.

I am thinking this might be offspring from small fruitflies / gnats i spotted flying around the tank sometimes.

then i sometimes find extremely tiny 0.1mm bugs that appear to be round, black and shiny and walk over some leaves.

and also i have once spotted a miniature snail.

I barely catch any bugs in my tank but these small fruitfly/gnat like pests are worrying.

Anyone know if there is a way i can kill these off? I need something that wont damage flowers, moss, roots.

Perhaps something i can add to my misting water?

Thanks
Jeff

prc11 · #2 02-19-2011, 05:53 PM

If they arefruit flies you can make a simPle fruit fly catcher. Maybe some pictures of the other bugs may help.

Jeff9 · #3 02-20-2011, 03:39 PM

Well they are too small to photograph.

I have detected the small "mite" like creatures in only one pot, which medium is s/h / hydroton. I grow all my plants in non organic material.

The pot is crawling with them, they are smaller than the point of a needle, almost invisible to the eye, you would need a microscope almost.
They dont seem to be affecting the plant, it looks healthy and its vigourously growing

I am not sure where they come from, i also noticed in that same pot an almost jelly like substance, almost like agar. I have seen it in a few more pots im not sure where it is coming from.

I have detected my maxillaria tenuifolia aerial roots being attacked by SOMETHING, i dont know what, i dont even know if its an insect or if the plant is aborting the aerial roots.

the strange thing is that it is only happening to a few roots which are growing high up on the rhizome. the lower roots which are growing into the medium seem unaffected.
it starts with the roots around the green growing tips appearing eaten and then they turn black. it has only affected 3-4 roots which are high up on the rhizome.

any idea how i can use a general fungi-pesticide to eleminate this all?

Daethen · #4 02-20-2011, 03:52 PM

The jelly like substance sounds like eggs. I have never had snails, but have heard that they will go down into the media and hide during the day. Not sure what to suggest.

Jeff9 · #5 02-20-2011, 06:42 PM

I do not believe the snails are present, i have only seen a really small one about 4 months ago. If they were still there i would've noticed.

I dont think theyre eggs, i think it is some sort of residue, maybe from the moss(mix) i used or algae of some sorts.

And i think the mite like creatures are diffrent from the small fruitfly like things.

Does anyone know some household compounds that might serve as a way to get rid of em? Let some diluted bleach solution work in to it for a while before rinsing?

RosieC · #6 02-21-2011, 05:55 AM

With some critters just soapy water (I've used liquid hand soap) can get rid of them. It depends on their skin thickness, thin skinned ones will absorbe the soap and it kills them (works on greenfly and also on the caterpillers I get on my gooseberry bush).

I've used soapy water in Phalaenopsis pots before (with the plant still in) and it didn't bother the plant but seemed to get rid of the pest. Actually thinking about it I did the same with Onc Sharry Baby where I washed the entire plant and ran it through the medium to get rid of greenfly.

Coffee (I used half strength instant coffee) can also get rid of some things, definately slugs and snails but possibly other things. All my orchids that were outdoor last summer got a soak in coffee when they came in (for about an hour). In that time the adult slugs crawled up out the medium and I was able to remove them, but I've read that it can also eliminate eggs (or whatever slugs/snails lay).

Without knowing what you have I'm not sure if either of these will work, but it could be worth a try.

Jeff9 · #7 02-21-2011, 06:31 AM

Thanks, i think i will start by soaking the plants for a while in a very dilute bleach solution.

I have done this before and it didnt hurt the plant either.

Jeff9 · #8 02-21-2011, 07:05 PM

This issue is getting annoying, the bad thing is that i dont know if they are causing any damage / trouble.

I have never caught any of them on leaves, always in the medium.
If i turn the lights on in the middle of the night you see them crawling over the media.

They are insanely small, barely visible to the eye like i said.
I believe they resemble the description of mites, but i am not sure. I think they are since i found some sort of fine webbing in some pots. (i only have like 4-5 potted plants rest is mounted) I dont know if it has spread to the mounts, i highly doubt it.

But i have taken aggresive measures with a bleach solution working in on the media.
Suprisingly enough i noticed when i pulled one plant out of the solution after about an hour + of soak they were just crawling the media like nothing happened.

Jeff9 · #9 02-21-2011, 07:37 PM

Well after some more research and advise from other people, i dont think they are mites.

Mites thrive in dry environment.

My tank is 90 humidity day and 100% at night. also i keep it very moist, my plants thrive.
So maybe they are harmless, but i will take some precautions just to be sure.

I am wondering what the hell these things are if theyre not mites.

any ideas?
jeff

johnblagg · #10 02-21-2011, 08:01 PM

no idea what they are but I think if it was me I would get ...and I say it all the time sorry...a no pest strip type bug killer. And then you can also use co2 to kill bugs in a sealed enviroment.....and that is not going to harm a plant at all...