Tiny crawlers in paph media

[JKeys]

I just noticed some tiny little bugs crawling around in the media of two of my paphs. I have isolated them from the rest of my orchids.

The bugs are very small, and greyish or whitish. I'm not sure if there are more than one type in the media, but they are there. It doesn't look like they have wings, although it's hard to tell.

My question is, should I repot now? They are both parvis. Also, I have some malathion to use. Is there a better option?

Thanks.

[Subrosa]

Without a pic or a better description positive id is impossible, but the smart money is on them being harmless springtails.

[JKeys]

Subrosa: I did some research online and that seems to be what they are.

My nest question is, when is the best time to repot?

[jeremyinsf]

Where are you growing them? Many people wait till the spring to re-pot Paphs who have them in a greenhouse, or wait until they are done with their blooming cycle and do it right after. The best time to do it is when they are putting out new roots.

I grow most of mine indoors under lights, so I do them anytime. I find Paphs usually respond very well to a re-pot, so I don't think there is a 'bad time'. Just my experience though.

[JKeys]

I'm growing them indoors also.

[rosemadder]

If they are tiny like this comma, and bounce, they are springtails.

Springtail Culture - YouTube

Springtails are nifty. They are found on every continent on Earth, and are a very important component of healthy soil ecosystems. They eat fungus. Don't mind em.


If they don't bounce, and are round instead of comma-shaped, they might be mites. Which is not so nifty. But mites tend to be more browney-orangey than white-gray, and are nowhere near as common as springtails.