Scale insects
 

Ok with the help of the Orchid Board members I realize that I have a scale insect problem on my plants.
However I live in NY and cannot get any pesticides that contain Imidacloprid or a product Talstar one shipped or purchased to my state.
I did find a pesticide that contained Malthion in it. Does that work to remove the scale problem?
I don't know what to do I don't want to loose my collection I have had some of these plants for a long time.

Go to the St. Augustine Orchid Society page on pests and other cultural problems.
Orchid Pests, Orchid Diseases

Scroll down to the section on "Pesticides and Fungicides & Bactericides". The "Pesticides" link takes you to a table of pesticides that are compatible with orchids, indicates the pests that they will treat, and gives information on mixing concentrations.

The imidacloprid (Bayer Advanced) products can be mail ordered if you can't find them locally. The St. Aug. chart also identifies other products for treating scale. IME, you want a product that has systemic action for effective scale control.

The Malathion will kill on contact any immature scale. It may kill the adult females which are the round bumps. But they have a protective covering (scale) and may not be as vulnerable. If using Malathion, you will need to it about weekly for at least a few weeks to get all newly hatched ones. Then isolate and keep a very close eye on it. I have found it can take months to really determine that they are totally gone. The systemic is slower acting but nice because it should kill them all eventually.
I still like to use Malathion when I first apply a systemic to immediately kill any young (white fluffy) in crotches and anything it comes in contact with. Scale are a very hard pest to irradicate and usually need more than the gentle approaches.

My mom's collection got hit with scale last summer and she used a neem oil dip on everything (she has more than orchids, so it was a big job) and says that one treatment did the trick....

She also scrubbed down every pot with the dip, and my dad took advantage of all the plants being out of the sunroom to scrub down the windows and floors and repaint the walls so there was no way any bug was going to be around once the plants came back in....

I haven't personally used neem oil on my orchids yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time.

Catherine

Scale insects
 

Thank you Orchid Whisperer for the advice. Went on Amazon and will be getting the Bayer tree and shrub product. Also went on the St. Augustine web site for the mixing directions.
Thanks for your help much appreciated!!

Here's a thought. If you can't get imacloporid in your state (WTF do they expect you to use?) create a death chamber. There are a lot of bug killing items, like the ones you hanng in your closet.

Get a big placcy bag, pop the plants in and add the bug killer. Leave it in 24 hours or so. You can repeat, obviously.

Because the bag is small, the doseage can be really high, and it shouldn't affect the plant.

It's got to be worth experimenting with a low grade orchid.

Happy to help Bob. I hope it works out for you, & you get rid of the critters. The key is to re-apply at the frequencies recommended on the package through the length of the life cycle of the insects; typically, this can be 45 days long. Re-application also builds imidacloprid in the plant tissues, so you get ongoing insect control after you are finished applying the chemical.

Bil,

This sounds like a great idea. I'd guess it would get the crawlies in the roots and growing medium too.

But what do you mean by "bug killer"? I'm not familiar with "...the one's you hang in your closet". Do you mean naphta balls? Can you suggest some brand names I could look for?

Thanks
Ned

Bayer 3 n one Insect and Mite control through Amazon.

I like Imacloporid. It was originally marketed as Confidor, but a generic brand will be way cheaper. It is systemic and a contact killer, so it is doubly effective.

Another good killer is CHAS 48 aka Dursban. BE CAREFUL! this will give nasty chem burns if you get the concentrate on your skin. (mind you, you should respect ALL such chems, Imacloporid included.)
That isn't a systemic, but as long as it isn't rained on, it will stay in place, for months and months, and nothing will cross it.

Just realised, that wasn't the question you asked. You can buy sprays of fly and wasp killer. A spray into the bag would sort those, or the sachets that you put in the closet that kill moths (not naptha) might do the trick. I can't think of any trade names I'm afraid.