Cattleya with white fungal growth - treatment?

[wiyosaya]

I have a cattleya that has developed what looks like a fungus. I have attached a few shots taken with a DSLR, and a few taken with a "Supereyes" digital microscope (unfortunately, the supereyes pics are not very clear).

Is this something to worry about? If so, if anyone has seen this before and has successfully treated it, I would appreciate a suggested treatment.

Thank you.

All the best,
Matthew

[NYCorchidman]

They're bugs, not fungus. and yes, you should be very worried as the infestation is rather bad.

I can't tell exactly what they are given the pictures, but it looks like they are either mealy bugs or soft bodied scales.

It's rather easy to get them off. Use alcohol dipped Q-tips or face cleansing cotton pad stuff to wipe them off the plant.
You have to make sure all are off. Some are not easy to get to as they are in between leaf and old sheath or in between wrinkles of pbs.
Check back a week or so later and moniter their comeback closely. Eggs or small groups hiding somewhere you didn't get the first time might come back days later.
So keep checking on them closely and get them off everytime you find them.
That easy but you have to get them off RIGHT NOW!!!

They suck the juice out of the plant and it really damage the plant.

Good luck!

[NYCorchidman]

Oh, one more thing after checking your first three pictures. You might want to remove the dried light tan colored plant tissue covering the pb.
The reason is because these bugs hide underneath them. You have fairly sever infestation, so I would definitely remove them all and check.

Also, you might want to check your other plants. These bugs are slow moving, but they do spread.

[dounoharm]

ugh, do as above right awaay!! kill kill killl!!

[tucker85]

The previous posts were absolutely right. I would start by putting the plant in a sink, taking some paper towels with a little soap and water and wash all surfaces of the leaves and pseudobulbs thoroughly. Peel the dried outer covering of the pseudobulbs first or as you wash. Then keep your eye on the plant and treat with an insecticide or insecticide soap (less toxic) whenever you see any signs of new bugs. Especially watch the undersides of the leaves.

[cbuchman]

Though I am probably stating the obvious, be sure to segregate the plant from anything else you have. You don't that the little buggers making the rounds. Be sure to check all your other plants too and get an infestation eradicated quickly. Good luck!

[wiyosaya]

Thanks for all the helpful replies. I have already segregated the plant from the rest of my plants, so at least that is taken care of. I'll check the other plants, too, just to make sure that they are not starting an infestation as well.

What does not show in the photos is what looks like a web at the top of the pot near the base of the stems. I assume that is silk of some sort from the bugs or their larvae. So, just to be sure, I am going to discard the current growth media and repot the plant in new media, and keep an eye on the plant for new bugs.

[wiyosaya]

After reading a bit about mealybugs and the fact that they have a waxy covering, I remembered that I have some "Orange Guard" that I was planing to use on leaf hoppers because it is said to dissolve the waxy covering on them. I would post a link to the product, however, the filtering mechanism on posts will not yet let me post URLs. If you search the net for "Orange Guard," their site comes up as one of the first few.

For those who are unfamiliar with the product, it is made from orange peel extract, and is said to be very effective in dissolving the waxy covering on bugs that have such a covering.

Does anyone have an opinion on whether or not the "Orange Guard" would be an effective treatment in this case? My concern is that the orange solution would somehow harm the plant.

Thanks once again.

[dounoharm]

i wouldnt think it would harm the plant, but it might not harm the mealybugs enuf....i use a powerful systemic insecticide when dealing with an outbreak....cant kill those buggers fast enuf....gl!

[Eddie Oates]

Just spray with a good bug killer like Pravado-- they will die as fast as you spray. It's one of those pests that you will find from time to time but mealy bugs are easy to eradicate.

Ed