Little White Bugs on Orchids
Maybe the exotic grace and colors of the orchids you passed in a grocery store, at a home and garden center or at an outdoor market tempted you to take one home. You heard that orchids were not as difficult to maintain as once thought. What you didn't plan on was bringing home a little white hitchhiker. The problem is that you know it doesn't belong in your house but aren't sure what to do. Does this Spark an idea?
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Diagnosis
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Before you try to get rid of the bugs, Chicago Botanic Garden plant information specialist Peg Busard recommends identifying what they are. "If you're not sure bring a sample to a horticulture center for diagnosis," says Busard. She suggests placing a sample or the plant into a plastic bag and bringing it to a specialist. "That's my job. I look at plants and problems all day." Among the places where people can find help are state Cooperative Extension Service offices, Busard said.
Mealy Bugs
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Among the most common insect problems seen on orchids and other ornamental house plants are mealy bugs, says Joel Edwards, who works at Hausermann, a Villa Park, Illinois, orchid supplier that is arguably the largest orchid grower in the Midwest. "Mealy bugs are the most insidious," says Edwards. He notes that with a badly infested plant the mealy bugs are in the soil mix, among the roots, around the pot and are likely to spread to other plants. He suggests watching for a cotton-like mass. "What you see is cottony but it has a spiked tail if you see the bug through the cotton stuff."
To avoid the problem, Busard suggests a careful inspection when purchasing a plant, including orchids. She says to examine it again at home before placing it near other plants. "Sometimes they are very difficult to see," says Busard. She describes mealy bugs as tiny, white, oval and approximately half a millimeter in length. However, she points to such warning signs as a part of a leaf or stem that appears shiny or feels sticky. "Mealy bugs secrete honeydew as a waste product." The mealy bug is one of the more threatening bugs to attack orchids and other house plants, according to Busard. "Its piercing mouthparts are sucking the life out of the plant," she says.
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White Flies
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Other white bugs sometimes found on orchids and other house plants are white flies. "You know you have them because if you are watering the orchid and disturb them, you get a cloud," says Busard, likening them to tiny moths. White flies like damp soil and are easily brought in from outside, she said. "They're unpleasant but not has harmful as mealy bugs."
Scale
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Although scale is a bug, it might not look it when it's past its immature crawling stage, because it is tiny and fastens tightly onto the underside of leaves where it can be missed. Busard says scale is armored, more often darker than white and might appear grayish or brown. She says Cattleya orchids are susceptible to scale if they're outside. Edwards thinks it unlikely that an orchid purchased from a grower would have the bug. "Scale has pretty much been eliminated by orchid growers and sellers," he says.
Spring Tails
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Spring tails can sometimes be the white bug people find in their house plants, including orchids, says Phil Nixon, a University of Illinois extension service specialist. Based in Champaign, Illinois, Nixon helps diagnose and lectures on plant problems. "They have a forked appendage which helps them 'spring,' thus their name. For a tiny bug, they can be a 32nd or a16th of an inch, they can spring pretty far," he says. Because they go more for wet, rotting material than for healthy plants, Nixon doesn't recommend worrying about them because they don't damage orchids. He suggests letting the potting mix dry out for a few days.
Treatment
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How you get rid of the problem, no matter which white bug is spotted, depends on whether you want to go organic or not, and how often you want to retreat the plant, Nixon says. Organic methods would favor the use of an insecticidal soap. Also, not organic but not considered as damaging to the environment as some sprays would be a horticultural oil of highly refined petroleum. The soap and oil would have to be reapplied to the entire plant about every 10 days to two weeks. A systemic spray would only have to be applied once and resprayed in 30 days if needed. Either way, horticulture specialists say the infected plant should be isolated from other plants as soon the bugs are seen.
Edwards, sometimes referred to at Hausermann's as the "plant doctor," recommends getting rid of bugs on the plants with Bayer's Rose and Garden, a systemic spray. However, he says you need to do more than spray. "You have to to take the plant out of the pot, wash the roots, dry them, spray and re-pot with a new mix, and best is if it's in a different pot. Otherwise be sure to completely sterilize the pot."
Busard prefers insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. "It smothers the insects," she says. She recommends covering the entire plant including the underside of leaves and the roots. "You can knock an orchid out of its pot pretty easily," says Busard, adding that the roots should be washed first in tepid water.
Treatment should not be done in sunlight, says Busard, because wet spots on leaves leave burn marks from the sun. She also warns that users should follow the instructions for cleaning a plant and storage of the spray, because pets and children have been known to open cupboards. Also, If you're looking for something stronger or systemic, she suggests finding a spray that either has Imidacloprid or Acephate as an ingredient. "And monitor the plant. Keep it away from other plants until you know the problem is gone," she says.
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References
- Photo Credit orchids image by Mike & Valerie Miller from Fotolia.com
