Is this a Mealybug and if so, how do I kill the little ***?

[lepetitmartien]

Dounoharm, glad you see you follow instructions when you don't spray all the time preventively for nothing save intoxicating yourself but you should tell the thing in full. (All right I'm pushing you a little, sorry for that, but I've read your posts lately and I think you do spray too much, please don't hug me afterwards.

Here (France) we don't have full routines just general direction depending of the product usually not going beyond the interval between applications. Routines are only in agriculture, with products not available for the rest of us (fortunately).

An alternate scheme should be avery 2 or 3 sprays, yes. And there's nothing written in marble.

When your treatment isn't effective manifestly do not stop! Wait a few days then treat with an alternative and have a spray schedule along those lines: (e-ffective, i-nefective)
i-e-e-i-e-e… or i-e-e-e-i-i-e-e-e… to keep the pressure on the pest. Use the intervals as written on the bottles (time before next spray = schedule of the sprayed product). Anyway, most molecules make a long stand in the plant (in the 80… 160… days) and the usual 10 or 15 days delay is the time it's at full force in them. When you alternate, you have after the 2nd product both molecules at work, and even with resistance to one, greater pressure on the pest, as if it can easily adapt to one threat, fighting 2 even if resistant to one is next to impossible (note the "next", resistance WILL occur one day for both).

To help, you can use nettle manure (diluted at 2%, my way, or at 5%, SFO way) as repellent and defense fortifier, or tansy manure (insecticide and repellent). Mealies don't like this at all. Note that manures are slightly fertilizing, especially nettles, and it's a bad idea to pump plants natural defense all the time so don't use them, give plants some rest and treat only when needed for these.

Think about those living in the pot, a dive of the pot into a solution of 3 teaspoon/liter of alcool AFTER your watering routing for half an hour will destroy most of them (the etched, not the eggs…), rinse afterwards.

[NYCorchidman]

Let this be a big lesson and the next time (and each time) you add a new plant to your collection, do a thorough examination to see if there are any hitch hikers.

Commercial growers usually have lots and lots of plants in a big space. Some are bound to have bugs on them.

[lepetitmartien]

And you can even have some from respectable sources.

A routine inspection when buying and the two weeks after is a good thing. You never know…

[RandomGemini]

I'm usually much more choosy about looking at a plant before I bring it home and if I see anything I don't like, or that even looks suspicious, I'll pass on the plant. It was my first time at an orchid show though, and I was on sensory overload.

They should send experienced hobbyists around with the newbies to prevent us from doing things like this LOL!

[NYCorchidman]

That is a good habit you have. I do the same, but I recently acquired a paph from a show that had mealy bugs which I somehow did not catch at the time of purchase.

It was in bud and the price wasn't bad. Well, the plant is long gone in the garbage now. lol

[dounoharm]

ah dang....so much for trying to be helpful....I will no longer post the results of 50 years of growing plants, a college education, and a lifetime of experience....you guys keep on dabbing alcohol and spraying soap and using nettle tea....I give up! I will no longer offer any kind of advice, ya'll have fun with your little buggies!

[RandomGemini]

Just an update: Two weeks after spraying both plants with Bayer Rose and Flower and I have seen zero evidence of mealybug activity. I will go ahead and treat them today, as recommended on the package, but so far, my masdie and mini Phal seem fine. In fact, the masdie is putting out new growth for me. The mini Phal is not doing as well after being repotted, but it will recover, I'm sure.

Fingers crossed that all continues to go well!

[RandomGemini]

Still no mealybugs!!

I did the last dose of insecticide several days ago and I am going to repot the masdevallia today as I have seen no mealybugs at all since I first started treating it and it's just doing ok potted in loose bark. I'm having to keep a separate pot of water underneath the plant, to keep some decent humidity around the plant's roots and the temps this week are supposed to get into the 80s outside, so I think I would rather have it potted in clay and moss, as I'd intended to do in the first place.

I'm assuming at this point, that it was not an infestation and that maybe the mealybugs I spotted were hitchhikers from other plants at the event.