I have thrips. Now what?
 

Quick flick of pepper flower showed thrips. Only a matter of time I guess before they get to the tomato, if they aren't there already.
Yellow/ blue traps are up.
What else should I do?

Spinosad (ie: Monterey Garden Insect Spray) takes care of them if you want to go an organic route.

(Not sure if it organic for produce sales purposes.)

Neem spray worked really well for me. I sprayed twice, early in the morning, gone by day three.

A hot shower might get rid of them and washing clothes and bedding.
Worth

I have been battling thrips every year for the last 3. Problem is, the adult thrips like to hide in the tomato blossoms and insect sprays dont work on them. They are easy to kill in the larval stage with beneficial nematodes as a soil drench but they reproduce fast and beneficial nematodes dont get them all. I also find green lacewings help too. But I have not found any method that eliminates them and they cause a lot of headache. Almost to the point I was going to completely give up.

I bought the beneficial nemtodes for thrips. It wasn't an instant kill, but I don't seem to have anymore. It worked.

No magic bullet for thrips.

They come in waves, think of them as barbarian hordes that run, hit, and magically hide.

Here's the arsenal:

Spinosad is weapon 1 $$ (highly effective)
Cold Pressed Neem 2 $$ (broad activity)
Synthetic poison of your choice 3 $ (effective, somewhat deleterious)
beneficial insects 4 $$ (highly effective)
Met52 EC (effective, broad activity) $$$, [url]http://www.abim.ch/fileadmin/abim/documents/presentations2008/session5/4_Pradier_ABIM-2008.pdf[/url])

Diatomaceous Earth $ pool-garden, $$ foodgrade (foodgrade all the way, best option, everyone dies, including you if enough gets into your lungs)
Traps (sentinel)

Offer flowers and douse them heavily.

A combination of weapons is required, otherwise they will not go away.

Thrips in large numbers are season-enders.

[QUOTE=Gerardo;651790]No magic bullet for thrips.

They come in waves, think of them as barbarian hordes that run, hit, and magically hide.


Thrips in large numbers are season-enders.[/QUOTE]

+1

One other note --

Thrips target stressed plants. If your plants are over, or under-watered, they are more likely to attract thrips.

I wanted to add here what I mentioned in the other thread. Early coverage of Surround WP + Nu-Film 17 will keep the thrips from feeding and also reduce heat stress. Win-win.


[url]https://www.groworganic.com/nu-film-17-gallon.html[/url]

[url]https://www.groworganic.com/surround-25-lb.html[/url]

Thanks for all the info.
I am a little reluctant to spray poison yet, as there are hundreds of hoverfly of at least 3 types working the garden heavily, and last year minute pirate bug showed up later in the season.
I don't see any actual thrips damage yet, and the only reason I looked is someone pointed out thrips damage on a tomato pic I posted last summer. I don't mind minor losses to keep a predator prey balance, but will grab the chemistry set if needed.

The big issue with thrips is the viruses for which they're a vector.

2000 lady bugs released in stages as per the thrips cycles will eventually knock down the infestation enough to get a couple maters going.

Bees
 

[QUOTE=jtjmartin;651774]Spinosad (ie: Monterey Garden Insect Spray) takes care of them if you want to go an organic route.

(Not sure if it organic for produce sales purposes.)[/QUOTE]

There are cautions to consider.Spinosad works internally on critters.The puncture at feeding will let the Spinosad activate in the organs of the "target pest"If your target is below on lower leaves spray there during non feeding times for the chance of a wayward beneficial(bees,wasps,ladybugs etc.)to ingest and die.Remember the stuff will carry through to the beneficials offspring.And no Spinosad residue should be applied directly to flowering tops if you can avoid.Good luck.

Survey today shows no thrips in pepper flowers, a couple in melon.
I don't know if the "tap the flower" method works on tomato.
Hoverflies have in large part moved on, mabe 10% of last weeks level.

Melon are not setting well, but they never do here. Don't know if its trips or that it's not warm enough?

Blue/yellow sticky traps have thrip sized critters but don't have a magnifier for positive ID.

This is the first year I have never had to spray for aphids, still time though, especially if the beans ever get going, they seem to be mid season target.