Good morning everyone. I was just outside checking my epis which I have noticed have been looking rather poorly recently. I decided to take one out of its basket and saw hundreds of tiny little spiders or mites in the soil. They must be chewing on the roots and thats why they look so bad. Is there something that I can wash through the soil to kill these or will I have to replant them all into new soil.
I know someone here will know what to do :)
Thanks, Annette
Need some advice please
Hi Annette,
Can you post a photo of your plant and if it's out of the pot, maybe a photo of the roots with the little crawling insects as well? Were the little bugs white/gray in color? I'm wondering if it's root mealybugs.
I don't know a lot about Epi's but I found this while googling: http://www.theamateursdigest.com/epis.htm and here: http://www.orchid-cactus.com/cultivation.asp
If you scroll down towards the bottom of the page it talks about pests. I didn't see anything about mites or anything in the soil but I wonder if it could be fungus gnats. Have you seen any little black gnats flying around any of your plants? I know they get down and hatch in the soil.
I use insecticidal soap on my few Epi's and all of my other plants. You could try mixing some with water and pouring it into the soil to see if it will kill the bugs. How did the root system look when you un-potted your plant? And, what about the potting medium, was it very wet?
Hopefully Wren or a few other of the Epi Pro's will come along soon and see your post and have some advice and suggestions for you.
Sorry I can not help as I have not had this problem but agree about the insecticidal soap it can not hurt the epi.
Sandy
Hello again, I took some more photos and also noticed that some of the epis also have a scale problem. The little spiders are beige in color and I also saw a very small black beetle with orange stripes. I'm surprised as all my epis are under a screened patio. Thank you for your help.
Here is a close up of the scale. Can this spread and is there a cure?
The scales can definitely spread quickly. I use two things: first I like to spray with a mixture of a couple of cap fulls of hydrogen peroxide mixed with a spray bottle full of water. Spray the leaf while lightly removing the scale with a toothbrush. It usually will come right off and the spray solution will get rid of any that don't. bob
Thank you Bob. I appreciate your advice. Annette