Have you ever tried to repot a new orchid and discovered a virtual insectary in the old pot? Orchids attract all sort of bugs. Little root destroying snails seem to be the most common pot hitchhikers. We talk often in Orchid Club about battling scale and mealybugs–when you can see them on the leaves, the media in the pot is also probably full of them.
Personally, I tend to be a bit squeamish and prefer a take-no-prisoners approach to bugs. But when you are growing orchids in your home, it’s not always a good idea to haul out the heavy chemicals. When I decided to move some of my orchids outside for the summer, I knew I had to be prepared for the bug battle. I was especially worried about earwigs like the creepy little guy at the top–our town is infested with them. While it is a myth that they burrow into your ears, two things are certain about earwigs: They love dark damp places like the spaces in orchid bark and when they get hungry, no flower is spared. Last year they ate every blossom from my clematis and begonias, and mowed torenia and even marigolds clean off at the ground. I knew I would need something that I could use often to keep the earwigs out of my pots. I wanted something cheap and non-toxic but effective.
Dish soap is an old timey insecticide that is especially useful for controlling spider mites. We often talk about using rubbing alcohol for killing and cleaning off scale and mealies. And orchidists frequently recommend rubbing regular ground cinnamon onto fresh cuts on orchids because it speeds drying and acts as an antifungal. This recipe combines the best of all three ingredients into an effective all-purpose pest killer. I mostly use it in a spray bottle, but it is cheap enough to pour through the pot or dunk. It gets bonus points for smelling great. Cinnamon extract is a liquid and can be found in the grocery store baking aisle next to the spices and vanilla.
10 drops dishsoap
1/2 tsp. cinnamon extract
2 TBS. rubbing alcohol
2 cups tepid water
If you want more safe ideas for products to use on your orchids, check out First Rays Home Remedies.
January 14, 2012 at 10:47 am
Other insect killers for spot treatment of scale insects, aphids, and others that congregate but don’t fly: q-tips with rubbing alcohol alone, or essential oils (rosemary or others), Dawn dish soap in a little water, hot chili sauce, a drop of Windex…
For pots and potting soil, there is nothing like warming them up in the oven or microwave, but avoid fire hazard. Warm the oven up first, turn it off, and then add the covered pots or bags, but watch to avoid causing a stink.
Don’t forget that some insects are not harmful, for example small numbers of tiny white or purple springtails jumping around. They clean up the decay.
January 14, 2012 at 7:21 pm
Thanks for your comment, Dan. I would like to know more about some of your suggestions, especially the essential oils and hot sauce! If you are interested in orchids, we’d love to have you join us at the Sioux Falls Orchid Club. Our next meeting is 1 week from today! Click the link at the top right for more information.