Bacterial or Pesty or both?

[Matorchid]

Ok

[Matorchid]

Another

[lepetitmartien]

The big holes are of snail/slug origin.

The decay around is a bacteria, possibly Acidovorax.

The little collapses under leaf are mites, certainly Brevipalpus (false mites).

[Orchid Whisperer]

Tony

You mention a sheen in your first post, that suggests snails or slugs to me. The big holes in the leaves suggest some sort of general mechanical damage (could be biological in origin, such as chewing insects, snails, rodents, etc, or could be an injury of non-biological origin (I have a phal with a big hole in it caused by something falling on the plant).

I have been fortunate in that I have not had to deal with spider mites (or false spider mites, or other mites) myself. But, the small sunken pits I see on some of your leaves do look like pictures I have seen of mite damage.

Regardless of whether you are controlling mites vs. insects, or bacteria vs. fungi, understand that a control for one problem will not take care of the other problems. For example, mites are not insects, so an insecticide will not clear up a mite problem. A bactericide will not necessarily clear up a fungal problem. Go to St. Augustine Orchid Society - North Florida Orchid Growing There is information there for diagnosing pest and disease problems, also options for treatment of many problems (using conventional chemicals and and some organic options if preferred.

Good luck!

[Matorchid]

Hello Lepet. and Orchid Whisperer and others,
Thank you for your reply. I would have to agree that some of this is false mites but as for slug / snail damage cannot be the case as my growing area is inside my house. These plants don't go outside. We are a family that does not use an A /c unless absolutely necessary, like when 105 outside, with that we do have windows that do stay open and most of my growing tables or shelves are at least a 2 ft away from them. I have 4 fans running at the same time (2 exhaust, 1 supply, 1 oscillating)24/7 to try to combat the heat. We live in Tracy, Ca. Yesterday it was 104 on my back patio with it being 93 degrees in the house, and no matter what I do short of tenting with plastic can never get humidity up. They all do sit in humidity trays, to try and help that. This my first year in this house and still learning the nuances of the micro-environment of it.
With that being said I am so much more inclined to think now that the pest issues is mites as you and others said, as well as a cultural issue. I am going to go back through my notes, and maybe change some steps concerning the care of these guys. I have no idea what I am doing to cause this but I'm sure I may be the root problem here. I don't know what it could be, I sterilize, wash and clean, and try to follow protocols accordingly. I will have to examine routine closely.
Now I have been seeing a lot of threads past and present about the notion of COLD ROT, and wondering if this could be part of it.
I will continue in a bit. My parrots are due there feeding time and they surely are letting me know about it.
Ok back.
Cold rot I have been reading a lot about. We have been extremely warm as I said before now we are getting down to around 56 at night it hasn't been lower than 52 in house at all and that was one night 3 weeks ago. I have been keeping an eye on temps since. With our windows open it can get to be that temp in house. Could the Delta T be the problem? Around a 45 degree margin. That's a big swing, and my understanding orchids don't like those big swings but I thought most of my collection could handle that low of a temp without being winterized. I am not sure.
Orchid Whisperer thank you for the link and have been referring to it already and just saw the entry about false mites just hours before you posted. I have that book marked. I was coming in today already with the notion that this is not a single problem but as couple of issues, hence background into my personal culture with these guys. I will keep plugging away.
One thing more, in my original post I asked about the common house fly. Has anyone had issues with them. I was thinking this might be part of what's going on in my case. I will post a couple of pics. I got a plant about a week ago from a neighbor that was going to throw it out because it was dying. I told him that I would take it. When I looked at it, it looked extremely good except for what I think is fert. burn. The reason I ask about flys is that I was looking at plant today and while I was looking a fly landed right on where I was looking. Didn't think anything of it swooshed fly away and there were 2 tiny black shiny dots. I guess some sort of excrement. I have seen this before on flowers(which dropped next day)pots, plastic spike stakes, etc. This is about 5th time this has happened. I will watch area and see if anything arises out of it. Does anyone know of issues concerning house flys? Could this be the bacterial issue? We all know they are disgusting insects and breeders of death and sickness. I will look into that as well. Maybe I'm just looking for something else to blame, I dunno. Well I think this has been a long enough post I better get to the dendros before it's gets scorching. I will post more pics.
Anything would be helpful!! All input is needed and wanted

[euplusia]

Pic 1: I immediately think that a slug had dinner at night (slimy coating).
Pic 3: Maybe mite infection.
Pic 4: Bacterial ? Are you growing in a humid area ? Was there water standing on the leave. Slugs love a humid bedroom.

[Matorchid]

I know definitely that mites are partially to blame. As far as the bacteria. It is not to humid where I live (Tracy-Central Valley California). Most I have seen without rain bout 45%. I don't spray in the afternoon or evening unless it's rubbing alcohol 91%. Sometimes if orchid sits on island it might splashed with some water from sink but that hasn't happened for quite a while, when it did straight for rubbing alcohol to get dry before moving on. I don't let it sit, stop what I am doing and take care of it. My growing area is absolutely on dry side, most everything in house is wood, so moisture isn't there. Trying to get some picsup. I have not seen anything that would remotely consider a slug/and or snail in the house. No tracks nothing. When this starts it actually starts from single point kinda like the Big Bang. Sm point, then sinks a bit, sinks a little more then all the way through, once that happens rot then it starts

[Matorchid]

That's part of growing area. Upper left corner is entrance hallway with racks down on a right side is my office. That's it