Mother Freaking Spider Mites!! Argh!!
So... I have been busy. I got a puppy. I forgot to water my orchids for like a month. I've forgotten before, but they usually survive this all right and I almost always end up with a couple of spikes when this happens.
Today, I decided it was time to assess the damage and I went up to my office and found three plants infested with spider mites. My lower shelf seems unharmed and undamaged, but the upper shelf, I am sure is fully infested.
I found a video on youtube from a gal with birds in her home also (my daughter has parakeets, so no pesticides here) and I am going to try Hairspray and manual removal of the pests to see if I can at least take the population down a peg. I started this thread so that I can share the process I'm going through with everyone and so that I can have a record of what I have done and not done.
Sadly, I believe that my Phal Lioulin Orange and my Phal Violacea are both goners. I'm going to attempt to save them both along with a NOID Mini Phal that has very light damage to one leaf. I did lose Dendrobium Pretty Doll to this infestation.
My first step, is going to be increasing humidity in the room. I'll start by cleaning and refilling the humidifier in there with distilled water, so I don't have to clean it as often. I'm considering getting a shower curtain to hang around my orchid shelf, which should, in theory, increase humidity around the plants. It will limit space somewhat, but at this stage, I'm all right with that.
Step 2 will be to water the plants throughly, which I am doing right now and to get back on a regular watering schedule. Puppy is now at an age where she won't destroy everything if I leave her alone for 15 minute intervals, so I can make time to water the orchids.
Step 3 is cleaning. The shelving and equipment will be sprayed with a mixture of Dawn, rubbing alcohol and water. I'll try to remove as many as I can from the trays and shelves this way, if there's anything there, I should know it in short order. I will also thoroughly vacuum and dust the room, just to add to whatever removal of stray bugs I can find. I'm treating it kind of like a flea infestation in that regard.
If anyone has any suggestions, or advice to offer, I'd love to hear it! I'll let you know how the hair spray works. I am going to isolate the plants that I know are infected in another room, just to add another layer of security.
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