pests

[Lore]

There are small gnats or mites (I don't know exactly which) crawling around in, & flitting in and out of the medium of my epi. radicans outside on my porch. I've tried mild soap mix, I've tried sevin spray, I've tried alcohol, I've tried malathion, but still they come and apparently do not die! Does anyone have advice on what I should try next? I'd appreciate it greatly. Thanks in advance! Do the mites harm the plant? There is no damage to the plant that I can see, but what about the roots-if the mites are in the medium crawling around down there, do they eat at the roots? I'm worried about it.
p.s. when you use soap mix to spray on your orchids, what is the recipe exactly? Maybe I didn't make it strong enough. I do know the malathion was strong enough that I put on, but no luck with it.

[uncasteeb]

Sounds like fungus gnats.These feed on deteriating medium(mainly bark).
Normally if your getting a lot of these it,s time to re-pot as the medium is probably breaking down.
If the medium is ok then try soaking the pot in some type of insecticide for 15 mins or so, this should really upset the little blighters(what i do ).

[Diane]

You might also try the Fruit Fly/Gnat traps - basically they are just yellow cards with sticky stuff on them. The little buggers (pun intended) land on them and can't get away! Mwuahhhahhhahhhahhhahhhhhaaaaaahhhhhhh

Oops, sorry got carried away. Anyway, they are inexpensive and can be found at most garden stores. Make sure you set it horizontal and not vertical, it really does make a difference.

[Lore]

I just repotted a few weeks ago, so the medium is good.
I'll try the sticky board. Thanks.

[mde]

Invest in a sundew plant or two, and set them right by where you're seeing the gnats...they'll be attracted to the sundew, and get stuck, and you'll never have to fertilize the sundew! (carnivorous)

Matt

[Jmoney]

if they're tiny white oval/oblong things, that jump around, you may have springtails. they're mostly harmless.

[Lore]

mde, I'll keep that in mind.
jmoney, some of them are like you described, and then some are the same shape, but black. Do you think they are harmless? I just worry about the roots, although the plant looks healthy, but if those little bugs are eating the roots, I won't know until it's too late to fix the problem.
Well hopefully the sticky board helps.

Thanks for the tips!

[Lore]

Happy Update
No more pests!