Hard to tell, but one thing they are not is spider mites.

tj

Not sure either, but you could do a general insecticidal drench and follow it up again in 7-10 days. Either Neem Oil or Safers Insecticidal soap, or a combination. I'm currently using a homemade spray of 1/2 tsp. Neem Oil and 1/4 tsp. Safers per pint for a fungus gnat infestation. You could use it as a drench too, I expect. But I'd make sure roots were already damp with plain water before applying. HTH.

If they are mites the best choice is safer soap or GENTLE dish soap. Like ivory. a table spoon to the gallon. Mites are hard to see by humans. Get a jewelers loop or a magnifying glass. Mites get to the bottom of leaves.

I think it may be an isopod (aka sow bug/wood lice)...generally harmless. The resolution doesn't allow me to completely verify that, but you can look them up and decide for yourself.

Please don't use any household cleaning products as a fixative for insect infestations or any other issue that would require the the detergent solution coming in contact with your plant's foliage or roots. Nearly ALL dishsoaps/detergents can/will A) dissolve cuticular waxes that limit water loss and protect the plant against insects and diseases, B) destroy the lipid membrane that surrounds root cells.

Al

Mealy bug? Do they look like they are in some cotton ball like fluff? When you remove the fluff is there a kind of worm type creature. I think mealy bigs can get into the roots of typical house plants also and a systemic treatment works best. I usually would see them on gardenia house plants. I worked at a house plant store eons ago.

I think also we treated them by taking a q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol and dabbing on bug and wiping off.

If that's what they are I would do a whole planting medium change, clean off all "roots" and sterilize pot then repot. You can soak pot in a gallon of water and a few capfuls of bleach.

Here is a link

https://goo.gl/images/DfsG47

Or, it could be mildew, then change planting medium.

tapla you are mostly right. You do say NEARLY all. Safer soap is a product that works on bugs. And only the gentle dish soap. dawn and ivory are gentle. The same as safer. look for the word GENTLE. No harm to plants. And the best choice for mites. Dawn is used on animals successfully after oil spills. What do you do to kill mites?

I think the word "gentle" is used far too often to be considered a reliable guide in this greedy manipulative and capitalistic world. But I agree that mild detergents (particularly those that are specifically for plants by trusted and well-known manufacturers) have been considered safe for orchids for quite awhile. Just don't be too quick to accept claims as to the gentleness of a product. There is a big difference between an orchid plant and a seagull. ;)

Wow, great information tapla!

looks to me like mealybug but see if you can get a better picture

PRO AVOID MISINFORMATION

tapla

As a younger man, I worked in a lab for The Jergens Company, developing hand cleaners and hand creams. Even though Ivory AND Dawn dish detergents work hard to leave potential purchasers with the impression they're miraculous unctions so gentle to hands they should be applied straight from the bottle at least thrice daily, they are very phytotoxic to plants for the reasons I noted above. And it's not just the detergent that's toxic. The chemical dyes, and perfumes they contain are toxic; and the ingredient methylisothiazolinone is extremely toxic to aquatic life, as well as a skin sensitizer/irritant that causes dermatitis ........ so just how gentle CAN these dish soaps actually be to hands? Extremely high levels of sodium in sodium laurel sulphate and sodium laureth sulfate (surfactants) both contain Na (sodium) at levels toxic to plants.

Vegetable soaps from natural oils (like palm and coconut oil) that contain long chain potassium fatty acids are the least offensive/toxic to plants (Safer's and other brands of insecticidal soaps), and much, much different than dish soaps. These long chain potassium fatty acid soaps are very effective on mites, but if mites are the only concern, they'd be overkill. All you need for mites is a thorough spritz of 1-2 parts of water and 1 part rubbing alcohol (the 70% isopropyl stuff) every 4 days to keep mites under control.

Avoid misinformation

Are you showing us the roots? It appears as a root ball.

Jane

I agree; no idea what we're looking at. Does not look like thrips. Also, if the picture shows root matter, thrips tend to concentrate above ground on and under leaves, which they feed on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp2zXV0f-cQ

Is the OP still around? .

Was kinda wondering that myself an hour or so ago. No response of any kind.

Looks like a springtail ... they are beneficial bugs. However, if there are tons of them, this is a sign that you need new media. They like rotting stuff.

Thank you everyone for responding and sharing the additional information and links. It is interesting to see the different point of views but also confusing at the same time since I'm just a beginner, so what if we use regular insecticide for orchids as well is that okay?. jane__ny this is the potting medium (bark). I think dannie317is right, I researched all of the suggestions I found here and the bugs resemble springtails the most.

What's wrong that you have to "save" this plant?

I see one tiny mite. Possible it's a normal soil critter, also possible that it's in an overly wet environment.

What does the top of the plant look like? (Need image, please.)

Likewise, what do the roots look like? (Need another image please.)

Looks like dirt to my eye, either that or the bark has broken down to the point where it is dirt.

I do not see roots.

What type of orchid is this? Can you post a pic of the top of the plant? Where do you live? How are you growing this plant?

Can't help without more info.

Jane