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Hi! I just got two healthy looking orchids on discount yesterday, but… | The Orchid Oasis | Communauté Planta

plantgal

Hi! I just got two healthy looking orchids on discount yesterday, but the bigger one I have found 2 mealy bugs :( I found one yesterday evening while just wiping the leaves with a microfiber cloth to remove dust (it was hidden in a leaf crevice so i couldnt see it at the nursery), and then sprayed both orchids with ready-to-use neem oil. Found a second one on the same orchid today which I spot-removed with a qtip soaked in isopropyl alcohol. Smaller orchid seems to have zero mealy bugs. I have both peppermint and unscented dr. Bronners castille soap around, and the affected orchid is isolated. Would still love any and all tips to get rid of mealy bugs that are orchid specific!! I am not a new orchid owner, just new to mealy bugs, and this affected orchid is getting ready to bloom so i’d love to get rid of them :)

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5 commentaires

  1. Jen

    I would treat both orchids, as I’d hate for you to go through the following few weeks, only to find a single mealy on the second orchid and have to start all over again. 1- isolate. 2- treat as you did with alcohol on a q-tip. Not just where you see a bug, but in all the leaf joints and nooks and crannies. If possible avoid the flower buds and roots, as alcohol will dry them out. 3- repot immediately. Mealies can nest in the root area in the medium. If you miss these, you’ll battle endlessly. 4- treat with the alcohol in the same thorough manner ever time you see a mealy bug AND every 2-3 days in every nook and cranny. You want to do this for at least 3 weeks, to get the critters at every stage in their development, from eggs to maturity. You don’t want to give any of the opportunity to mature and reproduce. It can be a frustrating process, but if you are consistent, you can eradicate them no problem.

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    • Jen

      ALSO! Clean and disinfect all non-plant material!!! Wash the plastic ventilated pot and the decorative ceramic one with soapy water. Don’t forget the little plastic clips that hold the flower spikes- during my first outbreak years ago, I found one in the clip after 2 weeks of consistent treatment and wanted to cry.

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    • plantgal

      Thank you!!!!

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    • Jen

      Good luck!

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  2. Waspinator

    Just be consistent about treatment and use your neem every five days for maximum effectiveness against baby mealies. The life cycle of mealybugs is 31 days, so if you're clear for two months, you can be certain that you got them all

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