check out my cattleya worried

[Sebastian]

ok got these pics there these white spots on my plant they can be wiped off but they come back and have some browning , worried what to do thanks

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

White fuzzy stuff = mealies.

Brown - nothing to worry about.

[glengary54]

Sebastian - What you have there is scale. Go out and get yourself a good insecticide. Make sure that you spray 3 times 7 to 10 days apart. If you have a small collection, the scale can be removed by blasting them with a garden hose and then brushing the plants with a soft toothbrush. Trust me if you have scale on one plant you have scale on many if not all plants.

[glengary54]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

White fuzzy stuff = mealies.

Brown - nothing to worry about.

Philip - look at the 4th picture, although juvenile scale looks like mealy bugs, in the picture you can see round circles that represent adult scale that has formed their protective covering.

[Junebug]

The photos do suggest scale, especially the one showing them on the undersides of the leaves. At this stage your infestation looks manageable, but beware because these critters can overtake a plant in no time flat. Treat with a systemic and do follow-ups like Glen mentioned. You can also try dabbing the critters individually with a swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. Scale is often overlooked as the insects tend to collect on the backside of leaves and in the crevices of rhizomes. It would be wise to thoroughly check the rhizomes and roots and repot into a clean pot with fresh medium. Isolate your plant until your certain there is no more scale. Good luck!

[BruceP]

We Floridians are well acquainted with scale infestations!
I second Glen's advice to start treatment immediately with insecticide as these things will suck the life out your plants in no time. I use Bayer Advanced 3in1 with very good results. It's available everywhere, has very little odor and is quite safe. The toothbrush or alcohol swab is a temporary measure -- at best. And yes, treat all of your plants.

[dounoharm]

in addition to treating the plants, i suggest removing all the sheath coverings and the psuedobulb coverings, all the old loose parts that can be removed.. they will harbor beasties....then treat well and as glen suggested! gl!

[glengary54]

Thanks for backing me up guys, I called that one without my glasses on.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Whether it's a scale or mealy infestation, or both, they need to be handled.

The primary goal was to ensure that it was neither a bacterial nor fungal infection.

It is incredibly difficult to see the adult scale insects at a quick glance, and they look like pigmentation that is usually normal around that area in certain Cattleyas and Laelias, but I think I do see a couple of the fully formed adult scale.

[Wynn Dee13]

I agree they are scales. The males are cottony looking and sometimes are confused with mealy bugs. But the male scales are a lot smaller than mealies. The female scales are the round dome like scales and they lay their eggs under the shell. Q tips dipped in rubbing alcohol will kill the males and it will kill the females if you get under the shells but it won't kill the eggs. I don't like to use pesticides if I can avoid it so if I see a few on one plant I quarantine it and use the alcohol treatment. But you will have to check it every few days to make sure you get the next generations. If you keep on it and you have a small infestation this usually works for me. If you have a worse case you will have to use the pesticides. Which I think you should go for the pesticide. There are quite a bit on that plant. And check your other plants. You should always check your plants on a regular bases for pests. I also strip all the old sheaths off the plant like dounoharm said. They like to hide in any nook and cranny. Also there are a lot of kinds of scales and they don't all look the same. You can google it and see the different kinds. Good luck!