Tiny thin silver beastie

[Kevstar]

Hey guys.

Noticed a root slowly turning brown on one of my phals over the past week. On closer inspection, I saw this little guy.. Tiny and silver.. Any idea what it is and the best way to treat?

Thanks,

Kev.

Sorry the pics aren't great but it is so tiny I only just caught it..

[Roberta]

What is your medium? How fresh is it? I can't really see it in the photo, but the first thing I would think of would be fungus gnat. They are not particularly harmful to orchids (though they could damage new root tips) but they are indicative of broken down medium (which IS harmful to roots)

[Kevstar]

I think it's a mix of bark and coconut husk. I got it around a month ago and the nursery said the medium is not old. But I'm not so sure..
I was going to repot but I noticed a couple of new side shoots appearing off the existing spikes so I was worried about disturbing it too much.
But I think it may be better just to repot so that I know the medium is fresh.

[Roberta]

I agree, repot. Phals are not fussy about being repotted in spike or bloom, just be careful not to knock them around. Rinse the roots under the faucet to help remove bugs that potentially might be present. The fresh bark (and I do think that bark is better than sphagnum for most people) will not stay as wet, and so will discourage bugs that like it soggy. I don't think you'll need any other treatment.

[Kevstar]