Hey everyone! I've just discovered baby thrips on nearly every single plant I have that got watered recently—I'm talking like 20 plants! I'm really bummed about this and would love some advice. I prefer not to uproot and replant all of them, but I'm prepared to do it if necessary. I've heard some people mention using DTE, but I think I'd still need to replant to mix it in. Any suggestions or tips would be super appreciated!
3 Answers
For a solid thrips management strategy, consider using nematodes to target larvae in the soil along with predatory mites to control adult thrips. Systemic pesticides can work too, but be cautious since many of them are restricted in various places due to their harmful effects.
To use nematodes, dissolve the powder in water—using it in the evening works best since they're light-sensitive. It’s easy and can help break the lifecycle of the thrips!
As for predatory mites, you can get slow-release sachets to hang on affected plants, which helps control thrips. Just make sure the humidity is right for them to thrive!
Yeah, but they need the right conditions to thrive. Keeping humidity higher helps a lot!
I've battled thrips on and off for a year with varying success, but here’s my best advice:
- Don’t be afraid to cut off any leaves that show thrip damage. Holding onto plants with damage can prolong the problem.
- Propagate any parts of the plants that are healthy. They can survive a lot of damage, but you want to save what you can.
- If you cut any stems, let them soak in a diluted bleach solution or water for a day. This can help kill any hidden thrips.
- Interestingly, thrips don’t thrive in humidity above 70%, so consider covering your plants with food safe bags to keep them sealed. Just watch out for leaf damage!
Pesticides are tricky, especially with pets around, but I found a low-cost insecticide that helped tackle what was left after I tried the methods above.
I had a small thrip issue last year on a few plants, and here’s what worked for me:
1. Rinsed the affected plants really well in the shower using lukewarm water.
2. Once they dried, I sprayed them with Captain Jack's Deadbug, focusing on the undersides of the leaves and stems.
3. Treated the soil with systemic granules.
4. Kept them isolated until a couple of weeks passed without seeing any thrips.
For my big philodendron, I had to get drastic and chop all the leaves off since the infestation was stubborn. After cleaning the trunk and reapplying treatment, I was happy to see new leaves sprouting soon after! Just make sure to keep an eye out for any new thrips and deal with them promptly, since they can still pop up every now and then.
Do the predatory mites really work? I've heard mixed things about them.