What's eating my corsage orchid?

Corsage Orchid (Cattleya labiata) is the classic florist cattleya, most frequently attacked by scale insects on its thick pseudobulbs. Mealybugs nest in leaf sheaths, and thrips disfigure the large blooms. Scale is the most persistent threat; inspect pseudobulbs monthly, treat with alcohol and neem oil, and isolate new divisions before mixing with your collection.

Hard brown or tan bumps on pseudobulbs and leaf undersides; sooty mold and leaf yellowing in heavy infestations Scrub with a toothbrush soaked in 70% isopropyl alcohol; follow with repeated horticultural oil or neem oil sprays every 10 days

White cottony clusters inside leaf sheaths and at pseudobulb bases; roots may be affected in severe cases Remove with alcohol-soaked cotton swabs; drench roots and medium with a diluted neem oil solution

Brown streaks, petal distortion, and silvery scarring on large flowers; tiny insects visible inside blooms Dispose of spent blooms promptly; apply spinosad-based spray to foliage (avoid open flowers) and repeat weekly for three weeks