Cockroaches are among the most annoying pests with which you will have to deal in growing orchids. They can do heartbreaking damage in a scant few nights if not stopped and destroyed.
Why are roaches such a huge problem? The answer is that one of their favorite meals is a potted plant's tender young roots and flower stems. It is not unheard of for the roots of a plant to be completely chewed up in one night by roaches.
How to effectively get control of a roach problem is an enormous topic. 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 wide array of poisons have been devised in an attempt to control cockroaches. If you go the poison route, you must of course only use the ones that will not harm your plants. Visit the garden supplies aisle of your neighborhood hardware store.
To avoid poisons that could be dangerous to your pets and family, try the boric acid solution. Just mix boric acid with a little sugar and some flour and water to make a paste. You should spread a little paste into every nook and cranny in your greenhouse or plant room. To be completely safe, though, don't allow any of this paste on your plants themselves.
You might also set out some of those "roach hotels." These will catch many roaches and stop a few at least from getting to your orchids in the first place.
Truly, the only way you can every keep roaches under control is 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 good 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 modern orchid growing, many agree, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded from the Internet. Howard's well-written guide constitutes a complete education all by itself. And, it's appropriate for those just starting out as well as more seasoned orchid growers. Also, check out the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing database of postings on many topics of orchid cultivation.
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