Can you tell me if these are spider mites??? Also, red leaves
 

Hey guys! I almost have my first Orchidarium up and running so when we went to get some last minute supplies I rescued this cheap orchid from the dreaded Wal-mart to help fill it. (I know, I know)

Last night I was watering it and I noticed there was a tiny red bug in the crown. I panicked and put a few drops of rubbing alcohol on there to see if that would kill it. I had remembered that when I was first learning (still am).

I came home tonight to examine it, and noticed that there was some VERY tiny little black bugs on the paper towel it was sitting on. Also, there was barely noticeable white down on the leaves. It was hardly there so I am not sure if that means these are mites?? I have never dealt with this before, and unsure of what to do.

I attached pictures of the leaves for your reference...


ALSO, I noticed that this plant has some red markings on the leaves... I wasn't sure if this was in relation to the bugs or just the natural coloring of the plant...

How do I treat this??????? Also, how long do I keep it away from my other plants...

Thanks so much,

Mariah

It looks fine to me

It's hard to see spider mites in a photo. You may need to use a magnifying glass. Another way to tell is take a white tissue and wipe the underside of the leaf. If you get red or brown 'dust' you likely have spider mites. The white down you mention could be the fine webs some of them build and they are quite hard to see as well unless holding up to a light. The webs will likely be on the undersides of leaves and in the leaf joints. Keep this away from other plants until you know if you have them or not.

The red I see on the leaves is just the red pigment from getting an optimum amount of light. Many Phals (and other orchids) that have some pink hues in their blooms get red leaf margins and even the bloom spikes might be a dark maroon colour. That looks normal.

Yes, they were very small and I couldn't take a picture of them. I probably wouldn't have seen them unless they were on the white paper towel. And I don't think they are really bad yet but I wanted to nip this in the butt! The one in the crown was a little bigger but I think I killed that one. I just soaked the entire plant in some soapy water.

Is there something I can mix up to kill these or do I have to buy some type of pesticide?

There are mixtures you can use besides pesticides. These can be persistant and do a lot of damage if you don't get rid of them. They like dry warm conditions so increasing the humidity in some way might help. I think Bud on OB supplied this recipe:
10 drops dish soap(any kind)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon extract(in the grocery isle with vanilla and almond extract=I chose the McKormick brand)
2 cups tepid water(from the sink but not scalding hot)

put it inside a sprayer...and douse the plant leaves including the creases and roots
make more mix for a basin and soak the pot to kill the eggs
repeat weekly...until the bugs are all gone