My Catt is Antsy

[estación seca]

How are you watering it, and how often? New growths turning black on Cattleyas is often a sign of insufficient water.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Borax ant baits will kill them.

Quick version, use Terro ant baits, based on Borax and sugar. Available in home improvement stores everywhere, probably other stores too.

To make your own, you can scale this recipe up or down to make as many or as few baits as you need. Mix 8 tbsp sugar to 1.5 tbsp borax (laundry additive). You can take this solid mix, and combine 1 part of the mix to 3 parts water. Soak cotton balls in the liquid, leave them sitting near your antsy plants. To avoid a mess, put the cotton ball on a piece of foil or plastic.

The Terro or home-made borax bait will eliminate the ants in a day or two.

[charlesf6]

Originally Posted by estación seca

How are you watering it, and how often? New growths turning black on Cattleyas is often a sign of insufficient water.

Might have been under watering it, I've been using a ka-bob stick to check & it always seems quite moist so I skip (all the while inside house, now it is outside) it.
It is a huge plant!

[Pamhanson]

Cattleyas is often a sign of insufficient water.