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Although thrips are small pests, the harm they cause is significant. Thrips are probably the cause of any silvery patches on your plant leaves, distorted growth, or small black dots that appear to be dirt, but aren’t. Your plants will be stressed, stunted, and prone to disease as a result of these pests sucking the life out of them.
The good news is that you are not helpless in this case. Here, we’ll show you how to get rid of thrips, from early infestation detection to complete infestation removal.
What Are Thrips?
Thrips are minuscule insects with feather-like wings. The juices of the plants are sucked up once the surface of the leaves, buds, and petals is scraped using one thin, needle-like mouthpart. The western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) and onion thrips (Thrips tabaci) are the most notorious troublemakers in the commercial production of plants.
In addition to the visible damage effects, thrips may transmit viruses that affect plants and cause the spread of Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). Therefore, early identification and control of thrips by growers, who cannot endure the losses and low quality, is important..
How to Identify Thrips
You’ll usually spot the damage before you see the insects. Look for:
- Silvery streaks or patches on leaves
- Bronzing of tender growth
- Distortions of new shoots
- Speckled petals
- Black tip spots resembling tar (known as tar spots).
To confirm, tap flowers or growing tips over a white card or tray and watch for tiny, fast-moving, straw-colored insects. A 10× hand lens will reveal narrow bodies and fringed wings on adults; larvae are smaller, wingless, and typically found in blooms or soft tissue.
For ongoing detection, hang colored sticky cards just above the canopy. Both yellow and blue cards are used; the “best” color can vary by species and setting, so choose one and be consistent with placement, height, and weekly counts. The point isn’t perfect color; it’s having reliable trend data that triggers timely action.
Understanding the Thrip Life Cycle
To control thrips, it is beneficial to understand their growth. These have a seven-stage life cycle, namely:
- Egg. Tiny eggs are laid inside the plant, so they are hard to see. They stay safe there until they hatch.
- Larva. Once hatched, the young thrips feed heavily on leaves, flowers, or buds, sucking out the plant’s juices.
- Prepupa. At this stage, they stop eating and move to the ground or a hidden spot to rest.
- Pupa. Here they change into adults, usually under soil, mulch, or fallen leaves.
- Adult thrips. Now fully grown, they move to new plants by flying short distances or crawling, ready to start the cycle all over again.
Knowing these stages helps you target the right time for control before they multiply rapidly.
Common Mistake: Mixing Up Thrips with Mites
It’s easy to confuse thrips with mites, especially spider mites.
Here’s how to tell them apart:
| Feature | Thrips | Mites |
| Speed | Fast | Slow |
| Shape | Long and thin | Round or oval |
| Damage pattern | Silver streaks | Yellow speckles |
| Webbing | No | Yes (spider mites) |
Where Do Thrips Come From?
Thrips can blow in on the wind, ride along on transplants, or build up on weeds and ornamentals near your production area. Inside greenhouses, the media surface, floor debris, and hidden corners provide protected sites for pupation. That’s why good sanitation and clean starts matter just as much as what you spray later.
Keep a weed-free perimeter around structures, inspect incoming plant material with a hand lens and a quick tap test, and don’t let “pet plants,” old pots, or unemptied trash bins linger on-site; these all become reservoirs.
How To Get Rid of Thrips
Successful thrips management in commercial settings should use a layered IPM (Integrated Pest Management) approach that starts prior to planting and goes all the way until harvest:
1. Start with a clean slate
Separate propagation and flowering crops and be sure the area is free of a weed buffer and get rid of the waste material in covered containers. Clean benches, floors and tools between crops. As much as possible, segregate the damaged looking plants due to thrips. This would close the spread of the thrips to your healthy plants.
2. Incorporate effective eco-friendly options
Protection Plus™, a citric-acid-based, oil-free, non-systemic insecticide and miticide, delivers exceptional first-application kill rates, including approximately 90% elimination of thrips. Its water-based, residue-free formula suffocates pests on contact without harming sensitive crops or building resistance. It’s safe from seedling to harvest and works via foliar spray or soil drench.
This product can simplify your spray program, lowering application frequency, reducing chemical load, preserving beneficials, and cutting labor and inventory costs.
3. Ensure proper application
Thrips hide in dense growth, boost carrier volume, use penetrating nozzles, calibrate sprayers, and keep tank mixes label-compatible and pH-balanced.
4. Monitor and follow up systematically
Thrips populations can rebound if left unchecked. Scout regularly at the new growth stage, flowers, and undersides of leaves to discover early infestations. Early application of follow-ups ensures there is no major outbreak and that crops can retain uniform quality and quantity.
Why Use Protection Plus™ for Thrips?
Protection Plus™ stands out as a top-tier choice for thrips control because it offers powerful, immediate results without compromising plant health or safety.
This product is non-systemic, meaning it acts where applied, on the insect itself, so it doesn’t get absorbed into plant tissue. That avoids concerns about residues in edible crops or systemic resistance developing over time.
Use Beneficial Insects To Your Advantage
You can bring in beneficial insects that naturally hunt and eat thrips. They act like a built-in pest control team. You could consider introducing:
- Lacewing larvae – Called “aphid lions” for their fierce appetite, they consume large numbers of thrips and other soft-bodied pests quickly.
- Ladybugs – Recognised for their bright colours, they feed on thrips, aphids, and other problem insects, helping protect crops effectively.
- Predatory mites – Excellent for enclosed production areas, they actively seek out and consume thrips on leaves and stems.
- Minute pirate bugs – Small but aggressive, they puncture thrips and feed on them with precision.
While these bugs can greatly reduce thrip numbers, they work best when combined with extra protection. Products like Protection Plus provide targeted elimination of pests in a way that insects alone cannot. Relying only on predators isn’t enough; you need both natural hunters and plant protection for lasting control.
How To Prevent Thrips From Coming Back
1. Source clean plants
Inspect incoming material with a lens and tap test. Keep vegetable transplants away from flowering bedding plants and annuals pollen drives thrips reproduction. Hold new shipments in a monitored area before moving into production.
2. Exclude where feasible
Fine-mesh screens on vents and doors can reduce entry; seal gaps around pads and fans. Train staff to keep doors closed and use double-door entries where possible.
3. Eliminate nearby sources
Keep a weed-free perimeter inside and outside. Thrips will multiply if weeds, flowering ornamentals, or other host plants are allowed to grow near production areas, increasing the risk of tospovirus spread.
Conclusion
Thrips are small but hard to eliminate, requiring thorough control.. Commercial growers succeed by combining clean starts, regular scouting, timely application of eco-friendly products like Protection Plus™, and strong sanitation. By rotating modes of action, preserving beneficials, and preventing reinfestation, you can control thrips efficiently and sustainably without over-reliance on emergency sprays.
Frequently Asked Questions About Thrips
Where do thrips lay eggs?
Using a saw-like ovipositor, thrips will deposit eggs into soft plant tissue, leaves, petals, or tender stems. This subcutaneous location safeguards eggs, and is partly why coverage and translaminar activity are of interest when selecting a thrips insecticide.
What attracts thrips?
Thrips are drawn to tender, rapidly growing tissues and to pollen. Flowering crops can see population spikes, and weeds around structures act as magnets and virus reservoirs. Managing weeds and separating flowering plants from propagation areas reduces attraction and risk.
What is the lifespan of a thrip?
Depending on the temperature (warm in greenhouses or cool), the thrips can grow one generation in less than two weeks or as long as a month. There is a sufficient lifespan of many weeks in adults and overlapping generations that are normal in a given crop. This rate explains why timely surveillance and changing of the thrips insecticide groups is very crucial.
How long does it take to eradicate thrips?
Thrip control isn’t a quick process. Commercial growers can regain control within a few weeks with a comprehensive IPM plan. You’ll want to combine an effective pesticide with regular scouting and early release of beneficial insects. An increase in timeframes can be anticipated when weeds or other nearby hosts or reservoirs of virus infection are present.