Pest identification
What's eating my cymbidium 'red beauty'?
Spider mites
Signs: Silvery stippling and bronzing of long strap leaves; fine webbing, especially in warm dry indoor air.
Control: Mist foliage frequently, wipe leaves, and spray with insecticidal soap or diluted neem oil every 5–7 days.
Aphids
Signs: Soft colonies on new growths and emerging flower spikes; honeydew and distorted buds.
Control: Knock off with a strong water stream; follow with insecticidal soap spray weekly outdoors.
Thrips
Signs: Silvery scarring and fecal flecks on open flowers and petals; buds may fail to open cleanly.
Control: Use blue sticky traps; apply spinosad spray to foliage (avoid open blooms); remove and bin affected flowers.
Slugs and snails
Signs: Ragged damage to flower spikes and young roots near the pot surface when plants are outdoors.
Control: Apply iron phosphate slug pellets around pots; inspect under pots and remove molluscs by hand at dusk.
Keep cymbidium 'red beauty' pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Cymbidium 'Red Beauty' pests — FAQ
What is eating my cymbidium 'red beauty'?
Cymbidium 'Red Beauty' is a popular hybrid commonly grown in cool greenhouses or outdoors in mild-winter climates. Spider mites are the top indoor pest; aphids and slugs are the main risks when plants go outside for summer. Red-pigmented flowers also attract thrips, which scar petals with silvery streaks during blooming season.
How do I get rid of spider mites on cymbidium 'red beauty'?
Silvery stippling and bronzing of long strap leaves; fine webbing, especially in warm dry indoor air. Mist foliage frequently, wipe leaves, and spray with insecticidal soap or diluted neem oil every 5–7 days.
How do I get rid of aphids on cymbidium 'red beauty'?
Soft colonies on new growths and emerging flower spikes; honeydew and distorted buds. Knock off with a strong water stream; follow with insecticidal soap spray weekly outdoors.
How do I get rid of thrips on cymbidium 'red beauty'?
Silvery scarring and fecal flecks on open flowers and petals; buds may fail to open cleanly. Use blue sticky traps; apply spinosad spray to foliage (avoid open blooms); remove and bin affected flowers.
How do I get rid of slugs and snails on cymbidium 'red beauty'?
Ragged damage to flower spikes and young roots near the pot surface when plants are outdoors. Apply iron phosphate slug pellets around pots; inspect under pots and remove molluscs by hand at dusk.