Don't Let Cockroaches Devastate Your Orchids

Cockroaches are some of the biggest pests with which you will have to contend in growing orchids. They can do incredible damage in a few nights if not stopped and destroyed.

What makes roaches such a problem?  The answer is that one of their favorite things to eat is a potted plant's tender young roots and flower stems. It is not unheard of for the roots of a plant to be completely chewed up in a single night by these pests.

Effective cockroach control is a subject that could fill books. People have been fighting with them in their homes and kitchens for centuries, and we will probably be fighting them for centuries to come. They have evolved to be incredibly successful in living amongst us and in resisting extermination.

A number of poisons have been invented in an effort to control roaches. If you go the route of putting out poison, you should of course only use those that will not harm your plants. Visit the garden supplies aisle of your neighborhood hardware store.

Many people swear by boric acid. They take boric acid, stir in some sugar and flour, and mix it all up with water to make a paste. You should spread a little paste into every nook and cranny in your greenhouse or plant room. To be completely safe, though, don't get any of the stuff on your plants themselves.

You might also put out a few those "roach hotels."  These will catch many roaches and keep a few at least from getting to your plants in the first place.

Really, though, the only means of keeping cockroaches under control is to look for them all the time. You should especially search for them on and around your plants in the evening, using a flashlight. They leave their hiding places in the evening to seek food and it is then that they are most easily caught and killed. Don't forget to move your pots and baskets around to uncover ones that may have run into hiding from you.

A decent guide to orchid growing will have many more tips and suggestions for making sure that pests such as roaches don't destroy your plants. The most up-to-date guide to modern orchid care, in my opinion, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which is available to be downloaded from the Internet. Howard's wonderful guide will provide a thorough education on the subject. Also, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has an ever-growing database of information on all aspects of orchid cultivation.