Something took a bite out of my Phal!!! (pic)
 

I just got up this morning to check on my orchids, and noticed that something took a big chunk out of one of my Phal's!! I have never caught any critters in my plants, but have occasionally seen some type of droppings (a little smaller than mice). Does anyone know what this might be from???

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...0/the_bite.jpg

Can't help you on this one but I'm so sorry for your baby.

Yes I do keep it outside, but it's in a small screened patio. Not sure how something might have squeezed in??

You should check around the pots and if possible inside the 'chid pots and try to find what ever it is that's munching on your baby.

I had the same thing happen with one of my Pahls and I never figured out if it was a bug or my cat, Lilly. The only thing I would suggest is that you treat it with a little hydrogen peroxide or alcohol or Listerine (around the cut) and a little cinnammon. It should go on to grow just fine without any residuals but open wounds like this should get treated with some preventive measures.

That's an impressive bite! If you don't see anything lurking around the plant, just keep a very watchful eye out for critters in the next few days, in case it pops up again.

The damage looks like what a mouse did to one of mine a few years ago . I caught it, was a small one .. Gin

Thanks for the tips guys!! I'll keep an eye out.

I would have thought snails.

The good thing about this is that it is on a new leaf and once the leaf has grown out it will appear as only a small indentation instead of the huge bite that it appears to be now. :) It is amazing how these leaves grow out from the base area and spots like this will just push out to the tip area.

It could be a weevil, there are lots at this time of the year chewing on leaves. I caught one on my Epiphyllum (orchid cactus) inside my home. They are more active at night I think.
Now I regularely inspect my plants about an hour after dark with a flash light (if you turn on the room lights, they will hide !)

Since you are in Florida, I am 99% sure that is snails. They love phals. I have had a lot of damage like that over the years from snails. Put some bait out quick. Plus search the pots for them hiding down in the mulch. They can do an amazing amount of damage in one night for such slow moving creatures!

I have never found a snail in my pots but I have the same exact bite on one of my phals and seems I have it every year. I've never discovered what it is.

I did find a roach the other day in one of my small catt pots. This catt has done poorly for quite a while and now I know why.

I also go for snails.. it's a very typical snalis damage... if you see in the picture, you can see that part of the leaf around the "bite" is lighter, which suggested that on the other side, the lead has been eaten too, but not complete...

Debs, if you want to check for snails in your pots, a good trick is to put some cucumber slices on top of them, just after watering and leaving them overnight. Next day, early morning, just pic the slices, if you have snails living there, you will have them eating from the cucumber... repeat it for a few days, if you do not find any the first 2 or 3 days ;) Snails can be quite small, and sometimes difficult to see in the pots, without this kind of tricks (my own experience ;))

Thanks Ramon...I should have thought of that for myself!!! :rofl: That's the method I use in my aquarium. I tie a string on a piece of cucumber and put it in the tank at night. The snails can't resist it and I pull out a whole generation of them at one time, the next morning.

I'll try it in the greenhouse and see what happens.

I had a katydid that decided to chow down on some oncidium foliage and left the round bite marks like yours. May she rest in peace.

Brooke