Oh No

If they have eight legs, they are mites. Mites are arachnids. Did you notice any webs?

I have --Den. unicum--; it's a nice plant. Lots of tangerine-colored and scented blooms.

I don't know whether dousing any plant in isopropyl alcohol is a good idea.

J. Del Col

Bob,

First of all ...are they doing damage?

If you can sqeeze them between your fingers they sound like they are too large to be mites.

I get little black beetles smaller than a pinhead that hang out on the vanda baskets. They don't appear to do any damage to anything. I've had them for years. They move fast and crunch like you said.

They seem to like the wood in the basket but don't bother the plants.

Good growing, Gene

Not that I can tell but I want to catch them before they can spread.

Well you can barely feel them and I can roll them between my fingers and they don't squish like a spider would. They are easly crushed on the mount and it lookes like there is a shell left. Very small.

Bob