sticky drops on the orchid flower spike

Orchids are considered sensitive plants and require good, proper care. But even the best handling of the plant does not necessarily prevent pests from infesting it. Plantopedia explains which parasites are typical for orchids and how they are combated.

pest infestation

An optimal location, perfect lighting conditions and sufficient moisture are given, but your orchid still looks sick? Then a pest infestation can be to blame. If this remains undetected and untreated, in many cases this not only results in the death of your plant, but all neighboring plants are endangered. Immediate action is essential. In the following you will learn everything about possible parasites, how to recognize them and which control methods are effective.

Phalaenopsis Orchid

Typical signs

In most cases, hobby gardeners and orchid lovers do not react in time when there is a pest infestation. After all, yellow leaves and reduced growth also happen to healthy plants. This way of thinking can be fatal for the orchid and, in the worst case, for other plants nearby. It is therefore important that you recognize special characteristics and can associate them with a pest infestation.

This is the case if:

  • falling leaves if it's more than one or two a week
  • blooming flowers fall prematurely
  • yellow or withering leaves
  • dying shoots
  • Growth disorders of the plant and flowers
  • Spots on or under the leaves
  • Holes in the leaves or at the edges of the leaves
  • Plant loses stability - stems and flowers tilt down
  • sticky plant parts
  • white or silvery webs on the plant parts, especially in the leaf area
  • white, brown, or black dots on parts of the plant, which may be the parasites

TIP: If you take good care of your orchids regularly, you should always check them for the characteristics mentioned. In this way, they can identify pests at an early stage and, ideally, prevent major damage.

First aid

If a pest infestation is suspected, the plant must be isolated from others immediately. It does not matter whether you have already correctly identified the malware. Don't waste unnecessary time on insulation. Your other plants will thank you. In most cases, the first step is a vigorous shower. Many types of pests fall off the plant parts at this point and further treatment may not be necessary if the infestation was minor and you identified it early on.

Orchid in the pot

pests

There are countless pests, but not all use orchid plants as a food source. Most pests prefer certain plants, so there are typical types of pests for the Orchidaceae as well. This basically reduces the scope of possible pests and you can identify them more quickly in order to start combating them quickly.

In general, pests tend to also infest neighboring plants if these are among their preferred food sources. Since they usually multiply rapidly, they can spread extremely quickly and destroy entire flower landscapes if you don't do anything about them. Therefore the tip of the experts: act immediately.

isopods

You can recognize isopods quite well and fight them effectively.

Plant Symptoms:

  • eaten roots
  • rarely young shoots and flowers
  • early withering stage
  • restricted growth
  • Buds don't open
  • Flowers fall off unwilted
Isopods, Isopoda

Recognize:

  • black to dark brown elongated animals with seven legs
  • Legs are mostly glassy to whitish
  • two short “feelers” at the back
  • longer antennae in several segments in front
  • shell armor arranged in a row
  • Size from 0.3 millimeters
  • like to stay in dark areas
  • eat leafy greens, but mainly dead plant parts
  • Feeding damage is similar to that of snails
  • Are also found in the ground, where they can eat at the tips of roots

Combat:

So far, there is no reliable remedy against woodlice that does not additionally damage an Orchidaceae. Since isopods don't really like orchids' special pots and only go in there for food, a good control option is to swap it out for one where they like to hang out. Place the pot without a planter next to a damp cloth placed on a piece of apple or potato. If they are full for the moment, they will be drawn there and you can collect the parasites.

Alternatively, a potato slice laid out directly on the substrate or around the culture pot is effective. Here, too, they collect around it so that they can be collected without any problems. However, this method takes longer than the previous one.

aphids

Aphids reproduce relatively quickly and like to migrate from plant to plant, so that a neighboring pest infestation can happen quickly. The plant must be isolated immediately and the first-aid principle applied.

Plant Symptoms:

  • sticky sheets
  • stunted or curled leaves
  • Buds fall off unopened
  • Flowers fall off unwilted
aphid infestation

Recognize:

  • mostly present in colonies
  • sit sporadically under the leaves
  • Colonies are mostly seen on the stems and shoots
  • Color from reddish brown to brown and black
  • length of up to seven millimeters
  • winged and wingless forms possible
  • have a proboscis
  • prefer shady plant sites

Combat:

In this case, it is particularly important to hose down the affected plant immediately with a harder jet of water. But you won't be able to get rid of all aphids that way. You can also pull off stubborn and visible specimens with your fingers by wiping off the affected parts of the plant between your thumb and forefinger. Otherwise, special insecticides help against lice, which, however, mean a high burden for the orchid. More recommended are ecological control measures, which have been shown to be just as effective in countless practical tests.

nettle broth:

  • put about two handfuls of stinging nettles in a bucket
  • add two liters of cold water
  • Let the mixture steep for at least twelve hours
  • Sift out nettles
  • Fill the brew into a spray bottle and spray the plant dripping wet every day
  • do not leave out any part of the plant
  • after a week all aphids should be dead
Make nettle stock

Red Spider

  • silvery speckles on the undersides of the leaves
  • yellow leaves
  • increased leaf drop
  • reduced shoot growth

Recognize:

  • elliptical body shape
  • eight-legged
  • posterior part of the body tapering to a point
  • colored light green, orange or vermilion
  • Size up to 0.6 mm
  • often seen on young leaves and shoots
Red spider, Panonychus ulmi

Combat:

Before you resort to chemical control, you should use the more environmentally friendly and plant-friendly method. Beneficial insects such as ladybugs are an effective measure, but difficult to implement in the living room. The following method is more suitable here.

  • Take the plant out of the planter
  • Rinse Orchidaceae well with lukewarm water
  • place in a translucent, transparent plastic sheet or bag
  • seal airtight
  • open/remove the bag/foil after about three to four days
  • the red spider should have died due to the high humidity

snails

Snails usually only infest orchids when they are outdoors during the summer season. Nevertheless, the possible damage is no less great. The slimy animals are easy to recognize. It is usually the slugs without shells that commit the herbivores. As a rule, everyone has already seen them, so that identification should be easy. However, if it remains undetected, the plant symptoms help to identify snails as possible pests.

Plant Symptoms:

  • fringed leaf margins
  • holes in leaf flesh
  • eaten flowers
  • silvery slime trails
  • Herbivory usually starts at the bottom and moves evenly upwards
  • Young plants and fresh parts of plants are often affected
  • Flower withers for no reason
  • gradually loses support and can be pulled out easily
Fight slugs with slug pellets

Combat:

The snail is a stubborn pest for which numerous control products are available. However, many of them do not help. However, the following measures work.

  • Picking up and collecting the snails (early in the morning and in the evening)
  • Lay cucumber slices around the plant
  • Lay out slug pellets (caution poisonous)
  • Spray leaves with coffee beans daily for a week
  • Distribute coffee grounds on the substrate
  • Rosemary and thyme keep snails at bay

thrips

  • malformed flowers
  • crippled flower forms
  • young leaves deform
  • brown spots on the leaves
  • silvery punctures on the leaves
  • black dots on plant parts (faeces)
  • with increasing infestation growth disorders
lower left orchid leaf is wrinkled

Recognize:

  • black-brown insects
  • white to light yellow larvae on the undersides of the leaves
  • elongated physique
  • fringed wings

TIP: Placing a blue plaque in the planter will attract these pests and make them easy to spot. This does not work with other pests, so you can be sure that you have a Thirpse infestation.

Combat:

  • Rinse the orchid quickly and thoroughly
  • Don't forget the underside of the leaves
  • Wrap the plant in a transparent film or put it in a plastic bag
  • close as airtight as possible
  • remove foil/bag after three to four days
  • Thirpses should have died
  • repeat the process if necessary
Thrips, Thysanoptera

fungus gnats

Fungus gnats in particular feel comfortable in the continuously moist substrate of orchids. There it pulls itself into the substrate, where it eats away at the roots. Now there are the best conditions for a fungal infestation, although they themselves are "only" simply annoying, but do not cause any further damage that would lead to the death of the plant. Only a fungal infection can weaken the plant to such an extent that it is no longer viable.

Plant Symptoms:

  • significant reduction in growth
  • Buds don't open

Recognize:

  • Size: up to seven millimeters
  • are often confused with fruit flies
  • dark gray to black color
  • black head
  • Fly in a zigzag
  • body length wings
  • white dots on the substrate (eggs laid)
  • elongated white insects in the substrate (larvae)
Fungus Gnat, Sciaridae

Combat:

When controlling, you have to proceed in two steps to reliably get rid of the eggs and larvae and to control the adult fungus gnats so that they cannot lay new eggs.

repot:

It is important to repot the orchid in a new, fresh and loose substrate. The roots are meticulously freed from all substrate residues. If you don't have any new soil on hand, you can disinfect the used one in the oven. Proceed as follows.

  • Preheat the oven to 100 degrees
  • Spread the soil out well on a heat-resistant surface
  • Put the earth in the preheated oven for half an hour
  • then let it cool down to room temperature
  • Plant the plant back into the substrate
high-quality orchid substrate

yellow sticker:

So-called yellow stickers, which are available in specialist shops, have a limited effect. They are inserted into the substrate. They are equipped with glue to which at least the larvae and flies stick. If the yellow sticker is full, a new one must be used. The procedure takes a little patience if the fungus gnat has already spread well. Otherwise, the yellow sticker is an ecological method without any toxic additives.

Nicotine:

Fighting with nicotine is very effective. If you and no one else in the household smoke, ask your friends about collecting cigarette butts. The nicotine does not harm orchids. Proceed as follows.

  • Provide a container with a screw cap (e.g. jam jar)
  • clean it thoroughly with detergent
  • Fill the glass to the top with cigarette butts including the filter
  • fill up with water
  • close glass
  • leave for a week until the liquid turns dark brown
  • Filter cigarette butts out of the brew
  • Fill one or two shot glasses with the brew
  • Pour nicotine brew directly around the central stem
  • Duration of treatment: approximately twice spread over a week
Cigarette Leftovers

Mealybugs and mealybugs

  • stunted growth
  • malformed leaves
  • cotton ball-like, sticky formations, especially on the leaves
  • Leaves and flowers wither quickly
  • increased leaf drop
  • brown spots on the leaves

Recognize:

  • Size about 0.5 centimeters
  • oval body shape
  • white, light brown or pink coloration
  • Cross grooves on the back
  • stay mostly under their webs
Mealybugs on the back of an orchid flower

Fight:

Soapy water, which you can easily and quickly make yourself, is ideal for combating mealybugs and mealybugs.

  • Mix two tablespoons of soft soap with one liter of water
  • Soft soap must not have any additives
  • use lukewarm water
  • Pour the soapy solution into a spray bottle
  • Spray the plant until dripping wet
  • Duration of treatment: approximately every two days for a week
  • Alternatively, shampoo can also be used
  • Do not use detergent - the Orchidaceae are very sensitive to this

Category:

Garden plants