Bugs and white powder??

[Jenna376]

Hello everyone...I am very new to the Orchid hobby...I just attempted to repot a sickly looking phal and there were 5 short green roots left and they were covered in white powder wich I assume is a mold or fungus of some sort...there is also a bunch of tiny bugs running around...I have no idea what to do with it...any ideas? I tried to attach a pic but failed...

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Posting photos is helpful.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Lacking photos, I am guessing the white powder is caused by the bugs. The bugs may be either mealybugs (which slowly move around) or juvenile scale insects (which hardly move at all).

With either insect, un-pot it, clean all leaves and stems really well, rinse the roots, and re-pot into new medium.

AFTER the clean and re-pot, treat with a systemic insecticide, like imidacloprid, at weekly intervals for a month.

[Jenna376]

Ok...I think I figured out the picture thing...so this is the poor root system...

[Orchid Whisperer]

The small white balls are probably spider eggs. Small critters - likely spiders.

Spiders are harmless, but if you can't put the plant outdoors until they go away, you can rinse them off. Spiders can help control detrimental insects. There is no need to spray for them.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I don't know if those white spheres are truly spider eggs. Many of the spiders I'm aware of lay their eggs and encase them in spider silk.

They kind of look like fungus.