Replacing diseased phalaenopsis orchids?

[persephoneplant]

Tried this in Chat at lunchtime, but got not replies.

I kept a pair of these orchids in the hall. They got a disease with white furry stuff on them and some leaves going yellow/brown. I have thrown them away.

There is another pair of these orchids in a room upstairs, which I bought at the same time and which seem to be okay. Planning to leave these where they are.

Would like to replace the ones in the hall, but if they are replaced with more phalaenopsis are they likely to get the same disease? e.g. might it be hiding in crevices of the shelf, even though it has been cleaned?

Can I replace them with more orchids, and if so how long to wait, or is it better to put different plants in that space? Could put spinder plants there instead.

Those are insects actually, a pest, where did you buy them?
Google Mealy bugs or wooly aphid

Sometimes you buy orchids and they are in the soil. I would contact the place where you bought them and probably refrain from buying in the future.

You can google treatments or prevention for the other two, I can't remember now as I haven't kept orchids for ages

Orchids are funny things, they like it moist but good drainage, light but not bright sun.
I failed at them

So if I got some more from a different place, would it be okay to put them in the same location, or would they be likely to get the same problem?

I think I have got the hang of them watering wise as I kept some going fine in an old house (but left them behind there).

I got them from Gardens4You. But maybe the pest could have come in from outside, as the ones upstairs are okay.

Mmhhh
Tricky. In my experience I have only found those in orchids as they are usually kept in moist warm conditions in nurseries so those buggers thrive.
I don't think it is the location. You could try to rinse the roots well and then buy new sterile bark/ orchid substrate and use that.
Sometimes the pots you buy have the eggs there you see, and after a while they come back.
Maybe there is a treatment and you can combine that with rinsing the roots and cleaning the leaves, ideally with rain water
You probably know more than me as mine always died

I actually soaked mine for a night so they would drawn and then I put them in clean bark