Paph with Black Balls! Oh, MY! - Orchid Board

BikerDoc5968 · #1 02-21-2008, 10:15 AM

I have an idea of what scale looks like...flat to dome shaped, shiny, firmly fixed, usually on the underside of the leaf...well something like that. Anyway, today I noticed these black, hard, easily removed "balls" on the underside of a paph leaf which is in flower as I write. Any clues? After I remove them, there doesn't appear to be any leaf scaring or yellowing or any residual evidence that they were on the leaf. So exam all the other paphs and take them to the local car wash? Get out the big guns and spray the @%&#*~ out of them?

Gin · #2 02-21-2008, 12:54 PM

I thought scale at first , might be eggs or poop from something don't have a clue as to what ? Usually scale leaves a white smear under the shells those are the eggs . Gin

BikerDoc5968 · #3 02-21-2008, 02:11 PM

Several people on the other board have mentiond scale but these just wash off. So I think it may be excrement from some insect. And they really don't look like scale...hard waxy shiny oval brown/gray.... and some even suggested spider mites but they are usually red and almost impossible to see with your eye and they are soft ...there black things are hard. Thanks for your input.

Andre · #4 02-21-2008, 02:14 PM

Hey Doc,
Some of my plants have "Black Balls" too?.... I think that they are insect eggs, but who left them?
Anyone?
Andre

camille1585 · #5 02-21-2008, 02:27 PM

Maybe a fungus of some sort? When conditions are unfavorable for a fungus to develop, they form dried little balls called sclerotes. Once conditions are favorable again these balls 'germinate', so to speak and send out mycelium to colonize the plant tissue. Of course, usually the sclerotes are found on the ground in the leaf litter or soil, so it seems a bit strange that it would be on leaves! And when would conditions NOT be favorable for fungus on orchids?? we keep them warm and humid!
This is a wild guess, as I really have not a clue otherwise. If it was insect poo, then it would be pretty big insects, and you would probably have seen the little buggers. How long do you think the black balls have been there?

Ross · #6 02-21-2008, 02:41 PM

A lot of things, it's not. It's not an insect of any sort and it's not excriment

If it were the latter it wouldn't be stuck to the bottoms of leaves. However there are a couple things it could be: egg cases from snails or slugs (unlikely) or egg cases from some insect (likely). What kind? If it were me, I would get a few yellow sticky cards meant to catch flies and hang them up to see if you catch some flies of some sort. I've never personally seen anything like this so I'm just guessing as are the others so far.

quiltergal · #7 02-21-2008, 02:46 PM

My vote would be for insect egg cases as well. Many crawlies don't come out until after dark. You may want to investigate when the sun goes down.

Becca · #8 02-21-2008, 03:41 PM

Sorry, but if you look closely in the first picture, I swear you can see tiny feet on them. They remind me of the spider mites I had/have on some of my plants. It isn't your typical spider mite, and it took me some searching to do. I will see if after work I can find my thread on here in regards to them! But then again, I could be totally wrong!

Ross · #9 02-21-2008, 03:49 PM

Spider mites (at least any I've ever seen) are nearly microscopic. I'd bet you these are not spider mites. Sorry Becca.

Dorothy · #10 02-21-2008, 05:39 PM

I had a mite - assuming it was a mite - on my Iwan. Apple Blossom that took it's position at the base of the flower and sucked the life out of it .. it did look like what these 'black balls' look like but much smaller .. so I can see, Becca how you might think it's a mite

But these balls seem very big in comparison from what I experienced .. but mite was the first thing that came to my mind ..
If it's poop

Quick! Get some toilet paper !