By DoMyOwn staff
Once you've identified the thrips on your property as pests, we have some recommended methods for getting rid of these tiny sucking insects.
Your plant’s health may be under threat from an enemy barely visible to the naked eye: thrips. These tiny insects damage plants by sucking the sap from their leaves, flowers, and fruits. But you can win the battle against thrips with these recommendations to spot, identify, and treat a thrips infestation.
Thrips are attracted to young buds, leaves, and flower blossoms on plants and can be found on the plant surface or hiding inside flowers. Plants that are infected with thrips display dark spots and drooping leaves. Other signs include a silvery discoloration of plant surfaces, a stippled pattern seen on leaves, or blackened, wilting leaves.
If your plants are displaying these symptoms, you’ll want to take a closer look at your plant to confirm that it is thrips causing the damage.
Thrips are tiny – often less than a quarter of an inch long - and narrow-bodied. They have six legs and two antennae and somewhat resemble very small grasshoppers in shape. Their narrow wings have a fringe pattern. Adult thrips are darker in color—usually brown or black. In the larval period, young thrips may be lighter in color.
In some instances, you may be able to see these extremely small pests on the leaves of your plants. They often appear as tiny, dark-colored slivers on the leaves and buds. Because of their very small size, you may need a magnifying glass to identify them.
You can also place a yellow insect monitoring card, glue board, or a white sheet of paper underneath plants that you suspect are infested with thrips. A gentle shake of the plant should knock some of the thrips off where you can clearly see them.
Once you’ve confirmed this is the pest you are dealing with, you can begin a treatment plan to get rid of thrips.
Thrips can be controlled by using a foliar contact insecticide spray. Horticultural oils, neem oils, and insecticidal soaps can be used to control the thrips on a plant. This type of treatment requires complete coverage of the host plant’s surface including buds, shoots, leaf tips, and other areas of the plant, with the insecticide spray to be effective. Multiple applications may be needed to fully rid your plant of every stage of thrip that may be hiding.
For the best results, oil sprays should be applied in temperatures under 85 degrees Fahrenheit and out of full sunlight. High temperatures and harsh sunlight can react with the oils to cause injury to the plant.
In cases where oil-based products may not be the right fit, a synthetic insecticide applied as a foliar spray can be an effective means of thrips control. An insecticide containing the active ingredient bifenthrin can provide thrips control indoors or outdoors when applied as directed by the product label.
If thrips are attacking edible plants, apply a foliar insecticide spray that is specifically labeled for use on edible plants.
Thrips are a common greenhouse and plant nursery pest, and there are control products made specifically for these locations. A foliar application of an insecticide labeled for thrips control in greenhouses can help you keep your plants pest-free.
For heavy thrips infestations in an outdoor setting, a combined plan of attack may be needed. Apply a foliar spray of horticultural oil or insecticide for an immediate knockdown in addition to a systemic drench. A drench application will offer longer residual coverage, although the results will take longer to appear. An insecticide containing the active ingredient dinotefuran is the most favorable choice, as it is more easily transported to the leaves and petals of infested plants.
Be sure to read and follow the usage and application instructions on the label of any product you select to safely and effectively get rid of thrips on your plants.
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