First post - a bug ID request of course - thank you in advance

[cheapskeptic]

Hi all,

New to Orchidboard, love all of your work. I am a complete beginner, only started tending orchids a year ago.

I wanted to know if you could ID a few (possible) bugs for me. Any help would be so much appreciated.

1) White worms in my phal - are these springtail larvae? They are SO SO tiny, I almost missed them. I am quite certain they are not mealies - no fuzz. They move slow, like nematodes. Should I do anything about them?

2) Dendrobiums from 2 weeks ago. The store said my picture didn't look like scale (and I cleaned them thoroughly before I brought them back for them to inspect so of course they did not find anything) but I don't know - they look an awful lot like the scary pictures of scale I've seen on the interweb. If so - what do you all suggest? Quarantine, obviously. But for how long? Media change? I will have to for one of them anyway because I saw snails

Anyways, thanks so much in advance.

[estación seca]

The things in the pot look like springtails. Nothing to worry about.

The round brown dot sure looks like scale. However, an old scar can also look like this. Are there more like this on the plant? If you gently push it with your fingernail, does it come off easily? or, does it come off harder, leaving a bright green wound?

[cheapskeptic]

1) Phew, thank you.

2) I found a total of about 5-6, and they all came off kind of easily when I scratched them. There are some dots around the same size that look like scars - the store told me that those were sun burns.

[estación seca]

I think there's a good chance you have scale. Round brown scars have to be scraped off with some effort, like scraping off a piece of green leaf. Scale scratches off pretty easily.

It could also be dead scale. If I were selling plants, I wouldn't leave dead scale on a plant for sale.

Juvenile scale often looks cottony and occurs at leaf axils and under bracts. Pay close attention for that.

[cheapskeptic]

Thank you so much, will do.
How long do you recommend quarantine for?

[estación seca]

Until you're sure it's not spreading - 4 to 6 weeks of warm temperatures. If you see more popping up treat right away.

I am in the group of people who think most "natural" or "organic" methods will not eliminate scale. If you're brave you can submerge completely, and soak, your plant overnight in water with a squirt of dish soap added. This often will eliminate scale.

[bil]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Until you're sure it's not spreading - 4 to 6 weeks of warm temperatures. If you see more popping up treat right away.

I am in the group of people who think most "natural" or "organic" methods will not eliminate scale. If you're brave you can submerge completely, and soak, your plant overnight in water with a squirt of dish soap added. This often will eliminate scale.

Yeah. Scale and other pests need to be killed with extreme prejudice.

Chemical megadeath rules!

[Subrosa]

Originally Posted by bil

Yeah. Scale and other pests need to be killed with extreme prejudice.

Chemical megadeath rules!

Nuke 'em!

[cheapskeptic]

Thank you so much everyone! Really appreciate it.
I've got some safers from a friend, might give that a try.