Cockroach damage to flowers

[emydura]

I first flowered my Paph kolopakingii in 2013. A few years later I matured the second growth only for a bit of rot to prevent it flowering. So I was really excited this year to finally flower it for a second time. Things were looking good as the first couple flowers of six buds developed well. Then I went into my glasshouse at night and found the flowers were completed covered with swarming cockroaches. As you can see from the photo, they have totally ruined my flowers. Now I have to wait a few more years to see it flower again.

I have noticed damaged flowers in the past and tend to put it down to slugs. But now I am convinced it is mostly cockroaches. With some other multi-floral buds developing, I needed to do something about the cockroaches before they ruined all my flowers. I read that the gel bait bait Syngenta Advion was very effective, so I have been trying that. So far so good. I put the gel in many places but I also put it on the flower stakes. I noticed early on when I went into the greenhouse at night, that there would be cockroaches eating the gel on the flower stakes rather than the flowers themselves. But now I am hardly seeing any cockroaches, so I think I am getting on top of them.

 

[NYEric]

Yikes! Good luck.

 

[Ozpaph]

Thats very annoying and very interesting. I can say Ive ever seen roaches in my GH (might be all the insecticides I use.....). Hope the plan works out.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

WoW... very educational ... I never heard about cockroaches having the nerve to attack orchid flowers! Power up those gels!

 

[SouthPark]

Could try a 'pestrol' brand outdoor puffer ----- placed near your flowering orchid. It can automatically fire off a puff of pyrethrum into the air every 15 mins, or every hour (or whatever the options are) and rain down safely and gently - not affecting the flowers at all, but should handle cockroaches for sure. Some collateral damage could be expected - as in other insects and arachnids could be affected too. I guess that if the gel bait works nicely, as it is selective and appears to be effective, then gel bait is a good option.

 

[emydura]

Could try a 'pestrol' brand outdoor puffer ----- placed near your flowering orchid. It can automatically fire off a puff of pyrethrum into the air every 15 mins, or every hour (or whatever the options are) and rain down safely and gently - not affecting the flowers at all, but should handle cockroaches for sure. Some collateral damage could be expected - as in other insects and arachnids could be affected too. I guess that if the gel bait works nicely, as it is selective and appears to be effective, then gel bait is a good option.

Thanks. The gel seems to be working well. I am seeing a lot less cockroaches and the flowers aren't getting damaged.

 

[Duck Slipper]

I hate roaches, too find them eating my orchids...I would be doing something. I have mealeybugs and basically control them with alcohol and a Q-Tip. I just hate chemicals, any and all of em. If I spray an insecticide, I’m killing the bad bugs, and the good ones, and exposing myself and other people, to insecticides that basically effect the nervous system of that bug! BUT, if I saw roaches, swarming my kolopakingii...I’d be spraying some nuclear strength stuff! Duck