scale on Phalanopsis - Page 2 - Orchid Board

Dorothy · #11 10-01-2007, 10:01 PM

OMG that's from your son!

Runs away flailing arms and screaming

ladyslipper · #12 10-02-2007, 02:43 AM

Wow, thanks for the feedback (& remind me to wear gloves if I ever meet Ross (no offense Ross

)). I swabbed the whole side of the leaves with the Witchhazel so maybe I got at least some of the babies. I will definitely get some Neem Oil and have started watching the collection really carefully. We had our orchid show this past weekend so I have about 15 new additions so its a little scary here watching for any new nasties. My grow area is so small, its hard to keep new additions separate. Even if you buy from trusted sources, things can happen.

regards, mary

Appalachian · #13 10-03-2007, 06:16 PM

You are right about the pyretherin however, butts are not the best way to acquire it. Pyretherin is in the nicotine. If you live by a tobacco farm the crowns of the plant is the best source (just dont touch it!) if you can soak unflavored skoal or other dip (its not dried) in alcohol, just put the skoal in a cup, pack it a little, and cover it with 8-12 oz alcohol and let it sit a couple days, agitating each day. Dillute this solution 50/50 with water. I dont know for sure but butts are nasty and once burned you are most likely dissolving some carcinogens and alkalying agents (could be bad)

Ross · #14 10-03-2007, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Appalachian

You are right about the pyretherin however, butts are not the best way to acquire it. Pyretherin is in the nicotine. If you live by a tobacco farm the crowns of the plant is the best source (just dont touch it!) if you can soak unflavored skoal or other dip (its not dried) in alcohol, just put the skoal in a cup, pack it a little, and cover it with 8-12 oz alcohol and let it sit a couple days, agitating each day. Dillute this solution 50/50 with water. I dont know for sure but butts are nasty and once burned you are most likely dissolving some carcinogens and alkalying agents (could be bad)

Whew! Sounds like a lot of work to me. I'd just rather use Diazinone, Chlordane, or one of those big guns,

Just kidding, of course. Like who has those around now-adays?

Gin · #15 10-03-2007, 08:24 PM

I'll never tell

Gin

kiki-do · #16 10-03-2007, 09:27 PM

Thanks for all the information, Cheryl! I also recently read about using "used" cigarette butt filters. You peel the paper off the filters and poke the filters in the potting mix. The nicotine absorbed by the cigarette's filter is an effective insecticide. This information was from the book, "Orchid Growing for Wimps."
Another remedy I have heard, but have not tried, is using a "no-pest" strip. They put their plant in a plastic bag with a no-pest strip and tied the bag shut, and the toxins kill any insect the plant may have. The person said it doesn't harm the orchid at all. Has anyone else tried this? Or know anything more about this method?
kiki-do

momerath42 · #17 11-22-2008, 05:03 PM

I have nasty scales on 2 of my plants and will try these remedies. Thanks!

Ross · #18 11-22-2008, 05:40 PM

Think we had a "fun ride" there for a few posts, but the real deal is just scrape them off with your finger then spray the whole plant with an environmentally friendly spray. There are lots of the Pyrethrin based sprays and oil-based sprays about. I think any of them will work, as will rubbing alcohol. Stick with it. They will come back. I have all the scale under control but not in submission. It's a thing to just deal with, in my 2 cents.

kiki-do · #19 11-22-2008, 10:17 PM

I've recently found out from a couple people I deem as experts that it is very toxic to your orchid to put cigarette filters into the medium. So please disreguard my input on that! Sorry!

Bob2741 · #20 12-03-2008, 08:13 PM

I was at a Orchid growers Sat and he had a couple plants in a sick area that he was treating for scale He was using Bayer Advanced Dual Action Rose & Flower Insect Killer and says it really works great. This is From the label

Ants, Aphids, Bagworms, Boxelder Bugs, Caterpillars, Clover Mites, Cockroaches, Crickets, Earwigs, Elm Leaf Beetles, Flies, Fungus Gnats, Grasshoppers, Gypsy Moth Larvae, Japanese Beetles (adult), Lacebugs, Leaf-feeding Beetles, Leaf-feeding Caterpillars, Leafhoppers (including Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter), Leafminers, Mealybugs, Midges, Mosquitoes, Pillbugs, Pine Tip Moths, Pine Shoot Moths, Plant Bugs, Psyllids, Rose Midges, Rose Slugs, Sawflies, Scale Insects (crawler stages), Sowbugs, Spiders, Spittlebugs, Thrips, Webworms, Weevils (including Root Weevils), Whiteflies