Zygopetalum orchid update - Unbelievable..

So here is an update on my Zygopetalum orchid and.. surprisingly enough, it's doing well! better than my other ones.. which died. However there is a problem, I won't spoil the 'fun', keep watching.

[KetVilagKozt]

Hi, i REALLY LIKE YOUR VIDEOS. My zygopetalum's largest pseudobulb started to get rotten from the top :( Do you know what I could do? Is that a big issue? :S

[juanandevesa]

I know that feeling Danny. Thanks for your videos!!

[BaotransBotanicals]

I feel like you're slowly losing your sanity to spider mites. I totally understand because my whole veggie garden was destroyed by spider mites. Ugh I hate those guys.

[aprillethomas]

Hi Dani: I checked before I'm writing this and Ed's Orchid in UK did a video about how to get rid of any bug the easy and safe way, I found his video very easily. He used 2 buckets of tepid water. To one he added common bleach and the other bucket had clean water. He took a Cattleya out of most of the medium and soaked it into the bleach solution for about 10 minutes. Then he rinsed it in the plain water. He claims it will take of any kind of bug that has infested your orchid. The video was easy to find; go to his site and look for a video entitled "Get Rid of the Bugs". If I ever have a problem with bugs, his method will be my first "go to" before I use any horrible chemical. Of course, this video of yours was years ago and perhaps you've already tried this. I don't it might be worth a try. Good luck!

[dinohodzic]

oh no! Hi Danni!
I hope that you had a great holiday with family and friends!
i got a mini phalaenopsis and when i got it was in sphanum moss and i don't want the orchid to die so i wanna repot it in bark chips but it its really tiny and maybe thats why it came with sphagnum moss what do you think should i do it??

[nicholecoutant]

SO SO Sorry Danni!! I am battling them myself along with fungus gnats!! I have been using a solution of isopropyl alcohol, dish soap and water in a spray bottle and spray them daily, it has helped immensely. I also put all my plants one by one upside down in the tub and spray all the leaves underneath with water once a week. I hope you find something that works for you to get you through the winter. I asked myself the same question, why me? I try so hard to inspect everything but sometimes you just can't catch them all. Nothing like a gnat flying in your face while your eating an apple in your own home!! The things us plant lovers have to put up with! Good luck, keep us posted if you find something that works.

[andrewusher]

Oh no not after all you've been through good luck with removing them and if all else fails when you move I'd be happy to give you some of my mite free zygopetalum happy growing x

[bumblebeesorchids]

Oh Danni, I'm so sorry for this and I feel for you. As you said, it seems they are immortal and have supernatural powers like teleporting. But I guess they are just so tiny and many in number that they are everywhere. You might have them on your hands, might have stripped them off a leaf unintentionally with your sleeve and then a few of them were enough to start a new generation on your new Zygo. 
I felt a similar rage when I received that Vanda with spider mites in summer and when I noticed that my first treatment hadn't been enough. I'm thinking about predatory mites and I think you have mentioned them in a video. Do you plan on buying them anytime soon?

[angelarawlins]

Would be helpful if you could show what you use and how to treat the Zygo, I am a new owner of one.

[kylefiedler]

Go get em Dani!! We all feel your frustration.

[niketp]

I am using coconut and charcoal mix for my orchids. It is winter and medium dries out in four-five hours. So I have water them twice a day which takes a time. Should I use moss or something or keep using same medium?

[naturalPianoadastra]

Oh nooo!! I thought for a moment you where going to show us an unexpected flower spike... :( I'm so sorry!! Well, your spider mites are for sure some resilient creatures... damn them!
Now... they probably understand you when you talk... that's the only way they did now of the new, tasty Zygo! So, remember... do not say anything important when you are on the balcony, you have to trick them! ;)

[rosine]

I feel so sorry for you. I have discoverd some as well on my Orchids and they are now in treatment. I use" Spruzit AF Schädlingsfrei" from Neudorff it works good for me.

[annathornburn]

I've just discovered the fade spider mite (red ones?) on several of my plants which previously had been totally fine. I keep everything indoors so I am at a total loss as all new plants are sprayed to within an inch of their lives when they arrive. I fee your pain, I actually want to throw all mine out of the window. I hope you can eradicate them from your lovely collection!

[tinakauder]

Dear Danny, I am right now repotting my Zygopetalum (sorry no clue which precise type) which is very very hearty and robust and bloomed many times. Despite of being neglected from time to time, it outgrew its pot so massively that I must cut back a lot of growth since it looks like a mushroom in shape so that I cannot even repot it. Are you interested? If yes please let me know asap.
Kind regards, Tina (Germany)

[mariaamaya]

hi nice video I will check my orchids just in case thanks.

[meadowfrance]

What is your humidity at? I've always heard that the drier the air the more spider mites will thrive, maybe you should get some humidifiers going to try to slow them down until you can kill them for good.

[Rosemary]

Hi Danni, Wow those little mites love your place, They must have sent out party invites when they saw all the orchids in your house Lol. Anyway back to the spiders, They can float across a room through there webs and because they are so small you wouldn't notice Them, And as the plants are on a window ceil with plants on the other side it would be easy for for those tiny mite to walk right to the new plants in the next room, around any unsealed fame, You will have to clean the whole frame and window with neat household bleach, unpleasent but effective, Spiders regardless of there size can travel long distance, And the webs are so fine that unless caught in the right light you wouldn't see them, I had a house spider web that was attached at one end of the hall and the other, but nowhere in between, it just draped, weird eh, Anyway as spider mites are so small they can travel un noticed attached to you or your clothes, and you pass them on, I'd use the bleach, for the house, And whatever you need to for the plants, good luck Danni you have been doing so well with the zygo, :-)

[mariane-bjeq]

omg, that's crazy!
My new Zygo that I got by accident (it wasNoID, I thought it's an Oncidium) just lost a whole new growth because I got it sprayed by accident - I was spraying the other orchids on the table and got a few drops of water on it's leaves... the whole growth just died on me in a few days :(
now I'm afraid to repot it even thought it needs repotting badly... how are you going to kill them mites without murdering the plant? I think I'm not going to spray my Zygo like ever... as long as it leaves... might not be too long in my apartment....

[Andrea-orchidsadutchy]

Oh no. :(( I thought the "unbelievable" from the title was going to be something good. This is so upsetting. My guess is that there were some (or maybe even only one or two) spider mites on the plant when you got it, but you couldn't see them, and they multiplied. Or they were still eggs or larvae, and at that stage it's next to impossible to detect them even with magnifying lenses. It's possible that they passed through a very small gap in the window and came indoors, or they might have hitched a ride in your sleeves while you were at the balcony, and thus came indoors. It's impossible to know. I understand your rage. :( I hope you will eventually get rid of them for good.