I use a Bayer product for scale. Rose and Flower spray. I'm always fighting something, bugs, heat, rot, etc. Wish I had a nice gh!!
Well it's raining on the orchids outside. First rain water since last fall. Hope it cheers them up to be out of their hot room.
Susan, you can mist any aerial roots without going near the flowers.

Don't you know that Orchids have a secret pact with bugs? Why otherwise would this fat Mealy bug look you straight in the eye when you pick up that wonderful first bloomer and examine it adoringly?

I usually water the whole plant when in bloom and don't worry about it, but some of my white C skinneri alba flowers do get marred from the occasional water drop sitting on it.

I agree with Kathy. I mist almost every day with a weak fertilizer solution and try to avoid the blooms. That's another reason I am fond of vandas. I should probably also be fond of paphs because they almost never bloom for me. :>)

Jim

I just went outside to gather up the hoses as I'm about to cut the grass. The temperature at 8AM is 80 degrees and with the humidity, it's like a sauna out there. I'm thankful for my riding mower.

Jim

OH! Stay cool inside Jim! I am still moving orchids outside. Lots of those bugs staring me in the eye. I see that the worst bugs are nearest the windows on the shelves where I can't see as well in the dark of winter. More fans next year!

Nice and hot here and we are getting ready for some major thunderstorms.....

Vanda Nathaya Beauty 'Pink' has fully opened and I got a couple of good pictures of it this morning.

Jim

A view of the entire spike.

Jim

A view of the west end of the lanai showing the bottle palm and its orchid friends. The palm usually has four fronds but the winter left it with only two. You can see a new one coming and it will be back to normal in another month. The whisky barrel it is potted in is on rollers so I can move it to a warmer place on a cold night. Anything below 32 degrees will do it severe damage but I love it and do my best to protect it.

Jim

I love the Vanda! You got a beautiful orchid environment there!

I also love the bottle palm!

My Blc Copper Queen opened a spike this week. I like the dark color on the new blooms which will fade to yellow with age.

and the plant - I shot a quick picture before a nice downpour!

Bulbophyllum echinolabium -
what ever possessed me to take it inside for 10 minutes for a photo session! But it was way too windy outside.
Stinky, stinky stinky and beautiful.

It will flower from the same spike for several weeks.
Some close ups -

and

Both are very nice, Ursula, but you know I love the bulbos.

Jim

More blooms are now open on the Dar. Walnut Valley x Ascda Blue Sky

correction - it Ascda Blue Sky, not Vanda

Thanks Jim!
This one is definitely a performer. The blooms are really large and shiny with curly tendrils.

And, I had posted my very first ever Cattleya aclandiae bud in the anticipation thread, happily it is open today.