plant pest harmful???

villanueva11 · Jan 14, 2015

Does anyone know about pest that could be harmful to cham's? I have been having kind of a hard time with a few different house plants having different pest that I've been doing my best to at least control-hibiscus with aphids, passion flower with spider mites, orchids with mealybugs-so far I believe I have managed to keep them out of his enclosure & away from him. But some pests can be so hard to spot before there is more or less an infestation. Could any of these unwanted guest cause harm to my boy or just the plants? I'd rather toss my plants-even my orchids-than to take a chance that ultimately risks his health.

darcym · Jan 14, 2015

fight bugs with bugs and im sure most orchids are poison

vgaines · Jan 14, 2015

From what I have read on this forum orchids are Cham safe.... I have one in with my Veiled's cage so I researched a little because I thought I had read that they were safe. Here is the link ..

https://www.chameleonforums.com/orchids-safe-77025/index2.html

Virginia

deeannkmiller · Dec 2, 2015

All orchids are not same, some are good and some are harmful. We cannot identify merely seeing them. Infact, chameleon plant is a weed. It is a poisonous plant in itself. So, it is obvious that many bugs will be away of it and the plants likes hibiscus and other flower plant will not get destroyed by the bugs. You can also hire some professional experts like Pest Control Rats Davis.

jpowell86 · Dec 3, 2015

I hate that you are having this problem, but none of the pest listed will directly have an impact on your cham. Besides the fact that mealy bugs secret that sticky mess and I wouldn't want my veiled nibbling on leaves that had that on them. Depending on what kind of enclosure you have, I would either toss the plants and start over or try the various methods to get rid of them. Washing the plants with soapy water or repotting the plants is an option. I have found that this method does not always eradicate the pest, but it will give you periods of time without them. If you're anything like me, I spend too much time creating naturalistic habitats to let the insects win and start over. As darcym stated, I would introduce organisms to combat the infestation. Phytoseiulus persimilis, or Predatory Mites will eat the crap out of those spider mites and they do not eat the foliage. Look up ways to combat them naturally. If your Orchid is of the epiphytic type, you could always soak it for 24 hours to eliminate the mealybugs. Orchids are okay to have in your enclosure! Good luck!

Matt Vanilla Gorilla · Dec 3, 2015

The aphids are actually a fine feeder for little chameleon hatchings! Most plant mites does not bother animals. That's all I know about this issue! Good luck!

PaulFowler · May 27, 2016

Some plant pests are harmful.

Extensionofgreen · May 28, 2016

None of the pest you mentioned are harmful to chameleons. Using beneficial insects usually is helpful for prevention, but not to deal with an existing problem. From what I'm understanding, you are having pest problems with plants not in your chameleon cage. Treat with an Imidacloprid based product, and use Murphys Oil Soap 2 TBS to 32 ounces of water. Spray and coat all surfaces, let sit for 20-40mins, out of the sun, then rinse thoroughly. You may need a few treatments to eliminate the pest, but your growing conditions need addressed, to prevent further problems. It's likely you need more light and humidity.

Lathis · May 28, 2016

I've actually had a really good result using predatory mites to eradicate my spider mite problem. My magnolia tree was just infested, i was worried it world completely die. All the leaves died and nothing new could grow because of the spider mites. I tried insecticidal soap and all sorts of treatments with no luck. A small bottle of predatory mites seems to have taken care of it entirely. New leaves are growing now and the tree is recovering well.