This article will focus primarily on sowbugs and how to control them.

What are Sowbugs?

We can describe the sowbug’s appearance in terms of size, body, and characteristics.

• Size: they are flat, oval-like pests almost 1cm long.
• Body: sowbugs contain several segments with a pair of antennae and seven pairs of legs.
• Characteristics: also known as woodlice, they are scientifically not real bugs. Instead, they are classified as crustaceans living on land.

Female sowbugs can produce eggs that take 3-9 weeks to hatch into about 2 dozen larvae offspring. They then spend a few days in the female’s plated pouch on the underside. The females also have two or three broods annually.

After exiting the pouch, juvenile sowbugs can molt four or five times until they attain full maturity. They live for about 2 years. 

Are Sowbugs the Same as Pillbugs?

Pillbugs are their closest relatives with a similar appearance, but they can roll up when disturbed.

Sowbugs have a couple of appendages that resemble tails, unlike pillbugs that lack these. Some people commonly refer to them as roly-poly or potato bugs. 

Why are Sowbugs a Problem for Orchids? 

Organic debris like orchid leaves, mulch, or other plants in your yards can attract sowbugs. You can spot them around foundations that have mulch, bushes, as well as in gardens where they set up their habitat.

By feeding on the decomposing matter and fungi in the ground, sowbugs cause damage to the roots of orchids and other plants. They chew up significant quantities of root tissue, causing root infection and diseases.

Though they thrive in mulch around house plants, sowbugs cause relatively minor harm to human beings indoors. Generally, they are a mere nuisance as they don’t bite nor sting, and when you come across them indoors, their population outside will be enormous. 

How to Control Sowbug and Pillbug Infestations

When you have to control sowbugs – just like any other pests – it’s crucial to get rid of their habitat. Eliminating damp environments kills and repels them. As a homeowner, you can do the following to control this pest menace.

Clean Up

Collect all firewood lying in your yard, and stack it up off the ground, away from your house. Sowbugs love hiding in damp logs, stones, and boards. Clean up all the dead foliage on the ground and sweep up any grass clippings. 

Additionally, ensure that your downspouts drain away from your foundations.

Set Barriers

Ensure that you’ve removed all the mulch from your flowerbeds. The zone around your house should be 15-30cm wide, and free from dead leaves and mulch. Doing this discourages sowbugs and other pests from nesting.

You should also trim your trees, flowers, and shrubs if you suspect that they are creating a damp shady environment closer to your foundations.

Seal off all holes and cracks

Make sure all your exterior doors are locked tightly with no spaces left. Install a properly sealed door in your crawlspace to lock these bugs out. Don’t forget to check the crawlspace vents to determine whether they are allowing adequate ventilation.

It would be wise to insert small plastic screens in your weep hole ventilation to prevent the entry of sowbugs. 

Minimize excess moisture

Damp basement walls can be waterproofed to prevent excessive dampness. Make sure to consult a professional to determine the appropriate products to use. A good example would be the use of dehumidifiers to minimize moisture in your basement.

You can also use natural home remedies: 2tbsp household detergent, 1tbsp cayenne pepper, 1qt rubbing alcohol, and a gallon of water. Mix them up and spray the mixture on infested orchid plants and other areas. 

You can also use Neem Oil or diatomaceous earth, which you can sprinkle at the base of your plants. Alternatively, soak the affected plants in a bucket of water and leave them there overnight.

Use these tried and tested methods, and you should be able to eliminate sowbugs from your orchids and your entire property.

The post Sowbugs – Orchid Pest Control Guide appeared first on Brilliant Orchids.

These young and undeveloped butterflies can cause extensive damage to your orchids. It’s essential to take the proper steps to remove them as soon as possible.

Here’s what you need to know about protecting your orchids from these pests.

Why Do Caterpillars Love Orchids?

Caterpillars are the larval stage of moths and butterflies. Like all young critters, they need to get all the nutrients they need throughout this vital growth phase. The juice from orchid stems and leaves contains everything these insects need to get themselves ready for the next stage in their lives.

But allowing them to chow down on your orchid can result in devastating consequences.

The best thing you can do when you notice signs of a caterpillar is to remove it from your home altogether.

Keep the Area Clean 

One of the first things you can do to help control pests is to make sure the area around your orchid is kept completely clean at all times.

This means you’ll want to pick up and dispose of dead leaves, fallen flower buds, and all other debris from around your potting medium.

These bits of debris are the perfect place for insects to lay their eggs. Preventing the arrival of caterpillars means making sure that an egg isn’t laid directly on the orchid in the first place.

Unfortunately, even when you keep your orchid’s space immaculate, sometimes eggs can still show up on your plants. Remember to continually check the underside of your orchid’s leaves, especially in the spring and summer months. Simply put on a pair of gloves, pick the eggs off one by one, and dispose of them.

Getting Rid of Hatched Caterpillars

Once a caterpillar has hatched, the amount of damage it can do overnight will leave you stunned. If you see a caterpillar on your plant, it will need to be dealt with immediately.

There are many ways to get rid of these unwanted guests, but we recommend escorting it from your premises with a pair of gloves or a piece of paper. This is the most humane method. Just make sure that there’s no way they’ll be able to return to your planting area.

Bring in the Bugs

Believe it or not, introducing other bugs can be one of the most effective ways to keep your plant safe. Predator wasps, like the Braconid and the Ichneumon, are the natural enemy of these caterpillars. They will target them while leaving your orchids untouched.

Make Your Plant Taste Terrible

Another option that could help save your plant is to spray your leaves down with a repellent solution.

Caterpillars hate intense flavors such as onion, jalapeno, garlic, and chives. This can quickly confuse and repel caterpillars, as they’ll be looking for the sweet juices of your orchid instead. Simply make your mix in a blender, add it to your spray container and spray down your orchid once a week.

Other Harmful Insects

While caterpillars are one of the main enemies of orchids, they aren’t the only insects you should be concerned about. All chewing insects can be a threat to your plant.

Here are some other pests you’ll want to watch out for.

Beetles

Beetles can be a big problem for orchid growers because they can quickly overrun the poor plant. Not only do they use the plant as a primary food source, but they also use it as a place to rest and lay their eggs.

Luckily, removing them is rather simple.

Beetles actually sleep during the day, so it’s easy enough to take the plant, turn it on its side, and shake it out over a piece of newspaper or a cloth. Once you’ve collected all the beetles, simply return them outside to your garden.

To guarantee that no other beetle eggs remain, spray your orchid down with a mixture of pyrethrum and isopropyl alcohol. Continue to do this once a week until there are no more signs of beetles on your plant.

Rats and Mice

Insects aren’t the only pests you need to worry about when it comes to protecting your orchid. Rats and mice actually love to dine on the flowers and pseudo-bulbs of the plant. This can end up killing your orchid should it continue for long enough.

Standard rat traps and mice repellent will be more than enough to keep these pests from chowing down on your plant. Just make sure that you keep your repellent solution at the recommended dosage and number of applications, or it could end up affecting the health of your plant. Luckily, in these cases, if the damage was kept to a minimum, your orchid should definitely be able to recover. 

The post Caterpillars & Other Orchid Pests appeared first on Brilliant Orchids.