Thrips on houseplants: tips to combat them
Thrips on houseplants – a phenomenon not uncommon, exacerbated by the fact that this insect is indiscriminate in food. It invariably successfully sucks the juices of any kind. This not only negatively affects the development of the flower, but can also lead to its death.
In addition, the pest multiplies quite quickly, making it difficult to remove. It is important to know the measures to control the existing pest and protect indoor flowers from thrips invasion.
Causes of thrips on houseplants
This pest appears on houseplants in conditions that are comfortable for its reproduction:
- dry air;
- Temperature +20 … +25 ° C.
Thrips do not need much, the main thing – juicy, healthy leaves. Once a thrips has settled on one plant, they easily fly to another one. Such indiscriminateness, adaptability and fast reproduction enable thrips to kill all flowers in an apartment in the shortest possible time.
It is also necessary to pay close attention to the ways of infestation. The main causes and ways of getting the insect into the apartment are:
- Buying store-bought flowers that are already infested with thrips;
- harvested field or other wild plants;
- Airing the room – thrips can fly into the apartment or be carried by the wind.
Finding thrips on houseplants
Because getting rid of thrips on houseplants is not easy, it is important to spot the pest in time. This is quite difficult because they are well camouflaged. They often live in large colonies.
You should inspect all plants in the house with special care at the first signs of a droopy flower.
The main food for the pest is sap, so brownish-brown areas are first formed on the leaves, which concentrate on the back side of the leaf plate. Brownish spots form around the edges, a sticky layer on the green part, and silvery spots with yellowish streaks on the outer part.
When the plant blooms, the bud and flower are affected first, and only then the foliage. The stem is also affected. This suppressive effect requires immediate control. Otherwise, the flower will die.
The insects themselves look like elongated larvae with a sharp tail and are oval in shape. Thrips gather in whole colonies, clustering on the inside of leaves or on stems.
Harm of thrips to houseplants
The fact that pests drink plant sap has the most negative effect on plant development. If you do not take timely measures to get rid of them, the flower will simply die, as it will be deprived of the necessary nutrients.
The results of pest activity are:
- Withering and droopy appearance of the plant, it becomes unsightly, there are cuts on the leaves, sticky liquid;
- Thrips carry fungal infections, so they can often be found together.
Thrips control methods
The fight against thrips on indoor plants should be fast and effective. Now in specialized stores you can find all the necessary chemical preparations that can destroy the parasites. The most important thing is to carefully follow the instructions on the package.
However, if you don’t want to use chemicals in your apartment, you can use folk remedies, which can also get rid of uninvited guests. In any case, it is important to get rid of parasites as soon as possible.
4 chemical remedies for thrips on houseplants
If thrips have dispersed en masse, it is better to fight with the help of strong chemical preparations. Chemicals can quickly destroy the disease. It is easier to cope with it.
Shoots in houseplants increase, the bush acquires the same shape and appearance, which indicates that the treatment was effective.
Precautions when working with preparations
It is very important to follow all instructions when working with chemicals. You should:
- In summer outside, in winter in the bathroom with the door closed, spraying and watering outside.
- Put the pot in the bathtub or on a tray;
- Premises are checked thoroughly after work.
- Ad respiratory tract at least a simple gauze bandage;
- If 2 treatments on the same line did not give the desired effect, change the active agent.
- Repeated treatment is carried out not earlier than one week after the first.
Folk remedy against thrips on houseplants
Thrips are very resistant and tenacious. Nevertheless, the fight against them can be a mode for people. In this case, the treatment is carried out with folk remedies. This method is less effective in terms of the speed of obtaining the first results, but in principle, it also gets rid of the parasites quite well.
It is worth noting that such methods of control are effective for gloxinias, petunias, cyclamen, violets, orchids and ficuses.
Mr. Leto reports: Preventive measures
Any disease is always easier to prevent than to treat. Therefore, it is worth heeding these simple tips:
What thrips look like and how to get rid of them?
If you know what thrips look like and how to get rid of them indoor plants and other crops, a person will only benefit. Figuring out what they are, you can understand when to start fighting with special preparations. It is also important to find out how to fight pests on grapes and peppers.
What are they?
The name of the putassu themselves is fixed not for one species, but for the whole detachment of particularly small insects with elongated structure. They have synonyms, vesicle and rim, the reason being that such a group has been renamed many times. Tripons were described in 1744. The honor of their discovery belongs to Charles de Geer, but then renamed Thrips by the already famous Linnaeus in the genus Physapus. In 1836, the British entomologist Holide elevated it to the rank of a genus.
It is easy to understand how thrips look like – they differ greatly from other insects by their peculiar structure. Their body length usually does not exceed 0.5-1.5 mm. Only in the tropics there are individual species with a much greater length. The head ends in a strong forehead resemblance, and the lower lip is shaped like a triangle. The antennae are not too long, with 6 to 9 segments sticking out.
The mouth apparatus is built according to piercing adventurism. The bristles do not just pierce; a grooved niche turns them into a suction tube. That’s why jays are characterized by travel. But some species are more predatory. This group of insects is unique in terms of flight.
The two pairs of wings are narrow and long. A whole “fringe” of cilia develops along their edges, but there are very few veins. Since thrips scurry back and forth between neighboring plants, it is difficult for them to fly long distances, mainly because they migrate between feeding areas. The nickname “blister foot” is due to the peculiarities of the walking apparatus structure: the legs are short and the hips are thicker. Thrips are closely related to plants throughout their lives.
About 2000 species of such insects are known, about 230 of their varieties inhabit the post-Soviet area. A thrips larva looks like a small sleeping dot. Adults are larger and move much faster. Reproduction is very fast. Some of these insects can produce several generations in a year; thrips themselves are not dangerous to humans, they do not bite – but when treating infested crops, the arthropods can enter the eyes or respiratory tract.
The polyphagous thrips are a good place to start. This species is colored dark brown. The body length is 1.2 mm. You can find this insect on many cultivated plants. The damage from it is very great.
California thrips is often found in greenhouses. It is a broad polyphage that actively attacks agricultural crops. The ornamental species, like the polyphage, is colored dark brown. It is characterized by sexual dimorphism. This insect species got its name for its particular propensity to attack ornamental plants.
The risk is especially great for:
It is also often found:
How to recognize pests?
Thrips are very secretive. They always start to infest the plant. But there are a number of things that can give you an early warning. For example, when pollen falls out of the flowers themselves, although neither wind nor insect pollinators notice it. The formation of small white and silvery spots on the foliage should also scare you.
A flower should be selected for close inspection. It should be thoroughly shaken over white paper.
It is less traumatic for plants to attract insects with small pieces of fresh cucumber or apples. Thrips will gladly run to such a fancy treat for their taste. In case of severe damage, all you need to do is inspect the back of the leaf.
Other warning signs:
Discoloration of individual areas;
The appearance of light yellow spots on the leaves;
death of plant tissues in places where they have been pierced by insects;
loss of ornamental flowers;
coarse deformation of the buds;
The main methods of control
biological
Traditionally, this pest is tried to fight with the help of entomophages. The best of them is a special beetle Orius laevigatus. It is worth noting that such a predator actively hunts spider mites and aphids. An alternative option is to use Macrolofus. In addition to the natural enemies of the soggy nose itself, you can also use biological preparations – for example, verticillin.
Chemical
When choosing insecticides for thrips, you need to consider the environmental hazards and the effectiveness of the drug in penetrating the leaf. It should be understood that by default such means are incompatible with the method of biological protection, and it is necessary to strictly choose one thing. Under the influence of chemical preparations, the number of entomophages almost steadily decreases. Among the preparations to control thrips, Talstar is well suited.
The product comes in 5-liter cans. The main active ingredient is bifenthrin. Under its influence, the work of cell membranes is disrupted. Symptoms of insect damage are about the same as when using chlorological substances. It is also worth noting the repellent effect of bifenthrin.
It also helps to kill thrips:
Regardless of the product you choose, it must be used at least twice. A good alternative to the above remedies is Actara. Keep in mind that it poses a threat to bees. There is some danger to humans as well. But protection from Actara comes quickly and lasts a long time.
“Vertimek” is also appreciated for its high speed of action. It is recommended to avoid treating with this product in high temperatures and humidity. The disadvantage of the drug is a very high level of toxicity to both humans and bees. Therefore, the product should be used with caution. Another option is Fytoverm.
This drug cannot boast of a particularly fast action. Its active ingredient is not quickly addictive. The drug is suitable for use immediately before harvesting (1-3 days). “Fitovermus” is expensive, which is not to the liking of all consumers. When choosing an insecticide, you should see if it penetrates the fruit.
home remedies.
Unclean treatments are often practiced at home and in summer houses when professional chemicals or biological remedies are not available. Such solutions are also less toxic and do not pose an increased risk. They handle small infections well. Ammonia alcohol is considered a good remedy. A teaspoon is mixed with chicken soap and dissolved in warm water.
You can also use:
infusion of dried calendula;
Infusion of the roots or leaves of dandelion;
Infusion of pharmaceutical chamomile mixed with green soap;
Infusion of dried tomato leaves.
How to get rid of insects on various plants?
On houseplants.
With the help of “Fytoverm” you can get rid of thrips on gloxinia. However, in neglected cases, you have to uproot the plants and hope that they can start a new cycle of development. On petunias, these insects also appear very often. The solution to the problem is provided by insecticides. Often they are applied:
When insects appear on pelargoniums, sticky blue traps should be used. Especially relevant is the protection of the youngest plants, which suffer more than other specimens. In severe cases, insecticides are used. The treatment is repeated after 4-5 days to capture all stages of pest development. Thrips are also found on a number of other ornamental plants.
They often appear on succulents. Sticky yellow traps can help control them. A good option can be the use of the drug “Actofit”. Sometimes “phytocomplexes” are also used. This product is valued for its excellent environmental safety.
On vegetables.
Peppers often suffer from infestations of rinds. The fight against them is carried out with the help of:
spraying infusions on the leaves of dandelion, tobacco;
treatment with garlic infusion;
Plant mint and basil around the perimeter;
When thrips appear on cabbage, they are most often of the tobacco type. Protection should be comprehensive. Give preference to resistant varieties. To make it difficult for the insects, plants should be actively watered. In a dry environment, they develop very strongly.
Pests appear on eggplants the more often the more glandular the lower surface of their leaves. Therefore, gardeners only benefit from choosing varieties with pubescent leaves. Nevertheless, it is sometimes necessary to treat plants with protective agents. It is necessary to protect seedlings from sucking insects and adult plants, as well as to cut out the injured parts of plants, as they are useless. “PhytoMus” is considered the best saving agent.
Contrary to popular belief, thrips appear even on onions. They overwinter as adults and are completely immune to any soil treatment. Contact campaigns are effective only against very young larvae. New specimens will appear all the time, and it is definitely not possible to turn off all individuals with a treatment. It is important to use the entire ensemble of contact and systemic means, because pests easily adapt to the composition.
And even on garlic, these insects can occur. Dry heating to 42-43 degrees helps to cope with the problem. Such a temperature is maintained for 48 hours. An alternative is wet heating to 45 degrees for 10 minutes (if you increase the temperature to 50 degrees, the treatment can be reduced to 5 minutes). Of the preparations noted, Karate Zeon and Fasttack are recommended.
Others .
Farmers often have triple lesions on their grapes. The infestation must be approached with great care. It is advisable to poison the pests with pyrethroids or phosphorus organic substances. To a certain extent, the use of the preparation “Zeolite” helps. In this case, the use of biological pest antagonists is not yet out of the experimental stage.
Travelling all plagues. In this case, it is mostly necessary to resort to agrotechnical control measures. In the affected areas and in places of possible occurrence of the insect is recommended to use the rear. Deep plowing with waist is also advisable. Particular problems arise when greenhouses are infested with the insect.
In this case it is recommended to use glue traps. In addition to the actual suppression of pests, they serve as good indicators of the degree of infestation. In neglected cases, it is impossible to do without synthetic preparations. Some experts suggest using pheromone traps. However, this approach cannot be the main measure of protection. It is much more correct to apply polyphales.
There are no special recommendations for oleander infestation. It is worth using insecticides to combat this insect and treat the plantings according to the instructions. Aster, peony and other ornamental colors are readily selected. An excellent way to stop the infestation is the treatment with the drug -” -Stowe course”.
From sick plants, be sure to remove 100% of the flowers and buds, because the pest has probably already settled there.
In addition t o-Straw-course‖, it is also recommended to us e-Fitevermus‖. Given the peculiarities of the life cycle of the insect, it is necessary to treat the soil. Tobacco filaments can be found on watermelons, melons and other melon crops. The key role in combating it then is ruthless destruction of weeds (protruding natural reservoirs). In the early stage of infestation it is recommended to spray plants with insectoids, from special preparations Kemifos is shown.
The fight against thrips on daisies is almost no different from the fight against other indoor plants – peony, chrysanthemums, ficuses. All infested specimens are isolated and thoroughly washed under running water. Ringing of insects already improves the situation by itself. In winter, flowers are treated mainly in bathrooms with special preparations. Then immediately wash the floors; if the insects have not disappeared after 2 treatments every 7-14 days, it is urgent to change the chemical and repeat the treatment again or separately from the flowers.
Sometimes thrips settle on hydrangeas as well. The approach to combat them is not different from the protection of other ornamental plants. As for infestation of apple trees, the approach will be about the same as for infestation of pumpkins.
It can be assumed that the same should be done if insects are spotted on raspberries or sunflowers. In any case, it is undesirable to go over doses of chemicals – even if the lesion is very strong.
Prevention measures
The right thing to do is to buy ready-made branded soil. If you take soil from a garden or vegetable garden for planting, it should be disinfected. A good option is the treatment with the drug “Nemabakt”. An alternative is the drug “Antonom-F”. Business flowers should be brought with caution; they should be placed away from houseplants.
Intensely scented flowers often help deter pests. They can be used in gardens, apartments and private homes. They combine well with tobacco and infused cabbage. Marigolds are sometimes used instead. It should be noted that such plants are also suitable for controlling ants.
There are also other recommendations:
Remove weeds in the fall;
Thoroughly capture or plow the soil to a depth of 0.25-0.27 m;
Plant debris of all kinds should not be left behind plots.
Plants should be checked every day. A lesion sometimes develops very quickly and can therefore only be stopped by attentive people at an early stage. If an area has been previously infested with trypsin, the top layer of soil should be removed.
The ground is disinfected with all due care. Diseased specimens should also be carefully transferred so that no larvae can reach healthy crops.
