What's wrong with the leaves???

[Gage]

Hey guys, I would take a picture but it's so tiny I don't think it would show in a pic. I think I've seen this before, but I can't remember if it progressed to something worse or if it just went away. Basically I have a large Phal, a Bc and a couple of Vandas with teeny tiny pin hole indentations on the top surface of ALL the leaves. I looked at the tops and bottoms of the leaves of each plant with a jeweler's loupe, and could not find any bugs. Under the loupe the tops of the leaves look a tad wrinkly/leathery. I know they don't have root rot, and I water them daily except for the Phal, which is potted. The Vandas are bare root with some Spanish moss and the Bc is mounted on tree fern, and is well established with roots everywhere. Please HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Discus]

If you look closely enough you may well see stomata which are natural parts of plants, but I don't think 10x magnification is quite enough.

Pits are often caused by mites; some orchids also have natural textures that might be considered pitted? Mites are pretty tiny, although you can sometimes see them with your naked eye, depending on their colour. Still, if even with a loupe you couldn't see anything, I'm not sure. Perhaps they're all hiding in the pits!?

[Merlyn]

Depends on what power the loupe is ! It's hard to see mites with a 5x loupe !

[Gage]

It's a 10x loupe. I had mites on a Phal recently and they were quite visible under the loupe. The orange colored spider mites.

[fishmommy]

I have the same problem with one of my phals and one masd. but even under a microscope I don't see any bugs. driving me nuts!

[Bud]

Mites usually leave behind fine webbing like a spider's web and a silvery substance that turns the foliage brown. They also suck the chlorophyll out of orchid leaves, leaving little pin holes that often look yellow.

you may not be able to see mites yet...but thats one of the probable cause of pin holes on your leaves that I know of

[Gage]

Thanks, Bud. I feel like it's bug even though I can't find em. And I don't think my bug sprays are helping. Bud can you tell me your little recipe again? Cinnamon extract and what else?

[Bud]

10 drops dish soap
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon extract
2 cups tepid water

spray the whole plant until soaking wet especially on its nooks and crannies

make some more to soak for 5 min the pot to kill the eggs inside the media

[Gage]

Thank you, Bud! I will try and do this tomorrow.

[fishmommy]

thank you!