Why are phrags so pest resistant?

[Candace]

What are your thoughts as to why phrags are so pest resistant? My phrags never get pests and I don't ever have to treat them. Once I had one lone mealy bug on a phrag, but scale and other critters are much happier dining on other orchids in my greenhouse. Maybe they just "taste" bad to bugs?

 

[Heather]

I found that thrips found all besseae species and hybrids mighty tasty, Candace.

Other bugs though, I agree, I've never had a problem with anything else.
I think there's another thread around here about this...I will poke around and see if I can find it.

 

[Candace]

We don't get thrips around here, so I wouldn't know about that.

 

[NYEric]

Thrip or fungus gnats like to lay their eggs and grow worms in most media, I find that the larva are easily treated w/ Safer or other low impact household sprays. Scale will grow on Phrags, especially if kept warm or too dry, but are easily removed by water so that may be why they're not often found on 'keep wet' Phrags.

 

[bwester]

because they frighten most bugs... and small children.

 

[Candace]

Scale will grow on Phrags, especially if kept warm or too dry, but are easily removed by water so that may be why they're not often found on 'keep wet' Phrags.

That's probably why they're not bothered by mites as well.

 

[SlipperFan]

Occasionally, I've had aphids on some of my Phrag flowers.

 

[Rick]

I've found mealies in the bud bracts on mine.

And this is a bacteria rather than a bug, but my phrags are much more likely to get erwinia than my paphs.

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

I think its partly because phrags have such tough,thin dry leaves...not juicy like paphs. Still, I have found some phrags that are prone to scale...pearcei/equadorense/caricinum, and lindleyanum/sargentianum, and their hybrids...mainly when they are stressed. On the other hand, while insect pests don't bother caudatum and its relatives, they, and caudatum in particular, are very prone to rots....Take care, Eric