Question
Hi Wayne, I have always loved orchids but don't know anything about taking care of them. My husband bought me an orchid as a gift and I have had it for about 4 months. It has grown beautifully and looks as nice as it did the day I received it. I noticed this morning that it has about 20-25 bumps on the stem and flowers (they resemble celery seed). There also seems to be a sticky substance on the leaves. Can you help me with a possible solution to these issues? Thanks for your help!

Answer
Good to hear from you Patti.  Based upon your description I think you may have a scale insect infestation.  As all insects, they have several stages to their life cycle. During the crawler stage they blend in quite well with the color of the plant tissue and move about the plant.  When mature, they form a shell which usually is brownish in color. This is the egg laying stage.  A test for scale is to soak a q-tip or small piece of absorbent cotton in rubbing alcohol and apply this to a section of plant tissue that has some of these bumps. They should come off on the cotton and the alcohol should cause them to turn brownish. If this proves to be the case, this infestation was likely present in some stage when the plant was purchased. The first step is to isolate the plant from other houseplants as scale can spread.

Treatment requires due diligence as the scale may be present in several stages. First step is to use the alcohol method to remove all visible scale insects. Please note to remove any flowers that show signs of the scale insect. Next step is to remove the plant from its pot (you can do this outside this time of year)and spray it with water to remove debris that might contain eggs.  You will want to repot this plant in a new pot and fresh potting mix and discard the old pot and mix which could serve to reinfest the plant. Before repotting, check the plant roots and remove any that are mushy as these are dead.  Final step is to spray the plant with an insecticide effective against scale. This may be before or after repottng thee plant. This may be done outside on a calm day using chemical gloves.  Keep the plant well shaded while it is outside. Check the plant often as followup spraying may be needed.

My experience with bargain plants is that, while they look great while in flower, the marketers do not have experience growing orchids and are interested in selling the plants quickly while still in bloom.  I recommend that any future orchid purchases occur locally from certified orchid growers.  These growers ensure their plants are in good condition and provide education services, repotting services and supplies. You can be assured that plants from these growers are bug free and freshly repotted. There is one such grower (the largest in the midwest) located in Waunakee, Wisconsin-- just outside of Madison.  They have recently purchased Oak Hill Gardens in West Dundee, Illinois and are moving that entire business also to their location in Waunakee. Orchids Garden Center and Nursery has a website which you can google.

I would be happy to provide any suggestions on repotting or respond to follow-up questions.