Cymbidium Flower Pests: Sheen, Eaten Edges, Clear Goo, White Deposits—Slugs, Sap, and Scale

Question:

Cymbidium flowers: sheen, edges eaten, clear goo on stems, flowers dying fast. Few white deposits. Pest?

Answer:

Hi Rupert,

Likely slugs/snails nibbling blooms. Spread slug bait on pot top—last meal. Clear goo = excess sugars secreted (normal for happy orchids). White deposits on leaves? Could be mealybugs or scale—don't want them sucking life. Systemic insecticide per directions, min 3 applications over 3 weeks.

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, CA