Not an Orchid-but can anyone help?

[Rothie]

One of my Bromiliads is covered in this.The black spots are raised and the size of a period at the end of a sentence.They do not move.I have looked thru my plant books and on the net but can't identify it.It looks like spider poop to me, but I am a plant novice.This is the only plant that is affected by this.I don't know if it is new,or has been there for years.

[(..._...)]

Could it be scale? do they come off when you pick them?

[Rothie]

Yes,I can remove them with my fingernail.From what I read about scale,the scale spots are larger and they move.Mine are tiny and don't move.I put some on a piece of white paper and looked at them with a magnifying glass-I don't see any appendages.

[(..._...)]

well I have this on my plants... and I'm pretty sure its scale. Scale doesn't move.

Whatever it is, pic them off ( using a wet cloth to wipe the surface), I use mild dishliquid on the leaves. They will come up again, one here and there, but just pick it off. Thats what I have to do, and they are under control

good luck

[Rothie]

This plant has about a hundred leaves,each about 18" long.The edges are like razor blades.I guess I'll just leave it.Will it spread to my other plants and orchids?

[susiep]

Hello Rothie, I'm in Florida too. I have never seen that either. It does look like poop but if so the plant would be devoured by now. So treat it like scale to be on the safe side to keep it from spreading to other plants. I would just use the Orthene spray. Good luck.

[Dorothy]

If it's scale .. it will spread alright! Keep it isolated from all your other orchids!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Looks like a type of scale insect. Wow! I've never seen scale insects attack a Bromeliad before. Usually it's slugs that love 'em.

Use soap and water to wipe off the surface. There are also commercial insecticides for them.

How do you grow your Bromeliad? They like lots of air circulation. I've never succeeded in growing Bromeliads indoors in the long run. Outdoors they just grow.

I love Tillandsias. I was addicted to collecting those a long time ago. I grow a few now. That's part of the reason of how I got into orchid growing.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

You shouldn't have too much of a problem growing them since you're in Florida. I saw tons of them growing all over the place when I was on the islands of St. Vincent, Dominica, and the Bahamas.

They were literally covering the trees they were on. They're "weeds" where you guys are.

[Rothie]

Thanks for all the replies.For some reason I'm not getting my email notifications.I've been in FL for almost 40 years,and I've never seen these growing anywhere.We do have some air plants left,but mostly in dense forest areas.I looked at some pics from a couple of years back,and the spots were there then,but not as dense.It seems strange that I don't find the spots on any of my other plants,but I'll call that a blessing.Here is a pic of the bloom from this bromiliad.It really is breathtaking.