My First Round w/ Mealy Bugs
 

Hi Everyone!

I just received a couple of paph hybrids from my local orchid society meeting a week or two ago. The bottom leaves weren't looking so wonderful so today I decided to give them a good look over and unpot them. The roots were so so, but upon a closer look, I found some mealy bugs in the deep crevices of the lower leaves next the the stem (I can't think of the technical term at this moment, leaf axis?). I cut off the leaves that were starting to look bad, but I noticed mealy bugs in the next set of leaves. My question is, if I treat the mealy bugs and try and get the insecticide into the deep parts where they are hiding, will I risk having problems with stem rot?

Crown rot (aka "Stem Rot" :)) is not a result of insecticide use. It is also not the result of the use of alcohol as a method for getting rid of mealies.

Crown rot is caused by a fungal infection that usually involves water being trapped in the leaf axils and the air didn't dry it up fast enough.

By the way, crown rot can and usually does accompany root rot.

Hi and thanks for the reply! I ended up figuring out I wouldn't have any of the issues I was concerned with, however, them dang mealies are hard to get rid of! I treated them again two days ago and still found a crawler on one of the 'chids that I was treating. How far do I need to keep these three from the others? I have them on a plant stand with two levels, some of my healthy orchids are on the bottom, and the three with the mealies are on the top, is that far enough?