Orchids and Cockroaches

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December 30th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

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

Roaches are a big problem. But why? The answer is that one of their favorite sources of food is a potted plant’s tender young roots and flower stems. It is not unheard of for the roots of a plant to be entirely chewed off in a single night by these pests.

How to fight roaches and control them, if not beat them completely, is a huge subject. 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 large number of poisons have been devised in an effort to control cockroaches. 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 local hardware store.

For a less risky approach, many people have had great success with a combination of boric acid, a little sugar, and flour, mixed with water to make a paste. The paste must be spread in every possible crevice or corner you can find. Take your time and don’t skip any likely location. To be completely safe, though, don’t get any of this paste on your plants themselves.

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You might also set 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.

Cockroaches are stubborn, though. If you truly want to keep them under control you must be prepared to look for them constantly. 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 put an end to your plants. The most up-to-date guide to today’s orchid cultivation, it is widely acknowedged, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded online. Mr. Howard’s guide is a complete education in itself, appropriate for the novice as well as the more experienced. Also, check out the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing database of articles on all topics of orchid cultivation.

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