It’s probably not even an issue the bugs tbh being on a 4th floor balcony. It would come more from other balconies possibly I guess. I will give it a try with a cold tolerant orchid one day. I’d be thrilled if it wasn’t too cold.

Well, take a look at what I grow in my back yard.. winter low temperatures sometimes get down to 3-4 deg C or occasionally even closer to freezing, and there are a LOT of orchids that are just fine with that. However, since the plants live outside all year around they are well acclimated. I would not put a plant that has been growing in a nice warm house or greenhouse outside during the winter - that would be too much of a shock. For orchids that can tolerate lower temperatures, the time to put them out is in the spring once the nights warm up to 10-12 deg C. Then they experience whatever Mother Nature provides, by the next fall and winter they are fine staying out because they are accustomed to it,

That’s it, I would want to get the plant used to it slowly from spring. We probably go as low as 3 at night and that’s the absolute coldest. Usually winter is about 7-13 Celsius. Maybe a miltonipsis would be best to put outside.

Hmmm... Miltoniopsis might not be the best choice... to me, those are neither "warm" or "cold" ... they don't like heat much above 25 deg C, but they also don't like it much below 10. I consider them "picky narrow range" orchids... Cymbidiums of course are fine, they can even go below freezing. Also the temperate Austrialian Dendrobiums (like speciosum, kingianum, tetragonum and combinations thereof) and Sarcochilus. Many Oncidiums and Oncidium-tribe intergeneric hybrids (especially those with a lot of Ondontoglossum in their parentage).

Oh wow thanks, I always assumed miltoniopsis were fine unless freezing. Well I’ll give an odontoglossum a go I’d say, I’m a huge fan of them. Yes cymbidiums love Melbourne weather.