There are pests and there are Thrips. I think if I have a gardening nemesis it is them. Tiny weeny little critters that just seem bullet proof. Honestly, I think I have tried every remedy, oil and bug killer out there and only now am I starting to get on top of the problem. Fortunately my thrips outbreak is restricted to only one large monstera deliciosa that lives in my upstairs bathroom, so I have been able to fully quarantine her so the rest of the plants in the house have not been infected (touch wood).
Battling Bugs An Armory for Defeating Thrips on Alpine Storksbill Flowers
As a lover of alpine storksbill’s delicate pink blooms, fungus gnats fluttering around the flowers are harmless enough But tiny, slender thrips sucking the life out of those elegant petals? Time to declare war on these pesky invaders!
While storksbills are generally sturdy plants, thrips can wreak havoc in no time by puncturing the plant and draining its fluids. Don’t let them decimate your floral display! With the right identification, treatments, and prevention, you can banish thrips for good. This comprehensive battle plan will equip you to eliminate thrips and restore the full splendor of your alpine storksbill flowers.
Know Thy Enemy: Identifying Thrips Infestations
Familiarizing yourself with the appearance, habits, and damage caused by thrips is step one. These tiny (1/20 inch long) insects can be yellow, brown, or black. They target young leaves and flower buds. Signs of an infestation include:
- Tiny dark specks on flowers and leaves (the thrips themselves)
- Silvery scarring on petals and foliage
- Flowers and leaves turning brown or distorted
Shake a few flowers over white paper to dislodge thrips for closer inspection. Catching infestations early before major damage sets in is key. Once thrips are confirmed, it’s time to fight back!
Non-Toxic Solutions to Send Them Packing
When thrips invade your alpine storksbill, resist the urge to reach for harsh synthetic pesticides which can harm you as well as your plants. Instead, arm yourself with these safe, effective organic remedies:
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Neem oil – Derived from the neem tree, this natural insecticide disrupts thrips’ feeding and breeding cycles. Follow instructions and coat all plant surfaces.
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Insecticidal soap – The soap destroys thrips’ delicate exoskeleton on contact while being safe for plants when diluted properly. Spray thoroughly.
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Beneficial insects -Predatory ladybugs and lacewings can devour thrips while pollinating your flowers. Invest in them!
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Sticky traps – Yellow and blue sticky cards lure adult thrips in for capture. Strategically place near plants.
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Pruning – Removing heavily infested parts of the plant can eliminate thrips while also improving airflow.
Be patient, as it may take multiple applications over 2-3 weeks to fully disrupt the thrips lifecycle. But with persistence, they’ll soon be banished for good!
Preventative Care to Maintain a Thrip-Free Paradise
Vigilance is key in keeping thrips from ever gaining a foothold in your alpine storksbill patch again. Rob them of the ideal conditions they need to thrive by implementing these proactive plant care practices:
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Remove weeds – Eliminate alternate thrip food sources by keeping the area weed-free.
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Avoid excess nitrogen – Too much nitrogen creates the succulent growth thrips crave. Fertilize judiciously.
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Curb watering – Let the soil dry slightly between waterings to prevent moist conditions suitable for thrips.
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Increase airflow – Space storksbills to allow for plenty of air circulation, which deters thrips.
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Employ barriers – Floating row covers can create a physical barrier against these tiny invaders.
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Monitor routinely – Frequently inspect for early signs like drooping leaves or silver spots.
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Quarantine newcomers – Isolate any new plant purchases for a few weeks before introducing.
By combining corrective treatments with smart prevention, your alpine storksbill will once again reward you with an endless parade of flawless, thrip-free blooms. Afew battle scars build character. But a crushing thrip invasion? Not on your watch! With vigilance and the right organic arsenal, victory over these pestilent insects is assured.
So let’s talk about Thrips
Thrips are tiny winged insects that’s are generally less than 2mm long as adults. They feed on your beloved plants by sucking the juices out of individual cells from the leaf blade or petiole. Entomologists have described over 6000 species globally. I think the ones I am hosting are the Western Flower Thrips (rankliniella occidentalis). Although they have wings in their adult form, these are only suitable for short hops rather than long distance flying. Therefore, they are unlikely to spread too far if you are able to quarantine your plants quickly enough. Interestingly the singular name for this insect is Thrips as well as the plural.
The lifecycle of a Thrips is a complicated one and is made up of several stages, called instars. The female Thrips will cut a small slit in her chosen section of plant into which she will lay her eggs. From there the larvae will emerge and commence the attack on your precious plant! The larvae which make up the first two stages are tiny wingless critters that you will see moving around on the leaves of your plants. At this stage they are already feeding on the tissue of your plants by piercing the surface layer and sucking out the plant’s juices (nice!). In the third, fourth and fifth instars the Thrips stop feeding altogether and go through a resting stage, similar to the pupae stage of a butterfly, during which their body metamorphose int0 adult form. Eradicating Thrips is most easily done in the first three stages while they are eating and their body is more vulnerable to your chosen method of killing them.
Thrips are a serious problem in global agriculture, they are a vector for several viruses that have a huge impact on fruit and vegetable production.
If only it was that easy! Unfortunately, what I have learnt over the last seven months of battling Thrips is its not a simple spray and walk away exercise. You must take a considered approach over an extended period of time if you want to eradicate them altogether. I started with a Neem oil mixed with insecticidal soap that appeared to work after it was applied a few times, but after a few weeks they returned. I then tried a product called SB plant invigorator and bug killer which again worked quite well for a time but once again they returned. It was at this point that I realised that I was missing something in the battle and it was part of the life cycle of the Thrips that was catching me out. As I have described above, the female Thrips will lay her eggs under the surface of the leaf where they will stay nice and cosy in a state of dormancy until such time as the conditions are suitable for the Thrips to hatch out and begin its lifecycle. The key thing to understand is that once the egg is protected under the surface of your plant there is nothing that you can spray on that will get to it unless you decide to go down the route of systemic pesticides and even then, there is some doubt as to whether this is effective at killing the eggs. In effect the plant itself is shielding the egg from whatever your chosen method of eradication is. Clever Thrips! So the key to success is in fact not a single product or method but a considered long term approach to eliminating the little blighters.
Get Rid Of Thrips FAST! How To Treat + Prevent Thrips On Plants ❌
How do you get rid of thrips in a houseplant?
For indoor houseplants, spray or wash the plant with a soap and water solution (about 2 teaspoons detergent in a gallon of water), making sure you get the solution on all the leaves and other areas of the plant. Washing plants is one method among several to keep thrips under control. Washing alone usually isn’t sufficient to control thrips.
What happens if a thrip eats a plant?
When pest thrips attach to your plants, both the adult and nymph varieties can cause great harm by physically injuring the plants and sucking out the plant juices. When this happens, the undersides of leaf may have a speckled, silvery appearance with black spots. Buds and flower petals will become discolored and distorted.
What plants repel thrips?
Herbs such as basil, oregano, rosemary, catnip, and the like are repellent to thrips. Members of the Allium family (e.g. onions and garlic) also repel thrips. Thrips are just a fact of life for most gardeners. They multiply rapidly and move from plant to plant by crawling, flying, and being blown in by the wind.
What plants are affected by thrips?
Because there are so many different types of thrips, most indoor and outdoor plants, both woody and herbaceous, can be affected by them. Indoors, thrips generally prefer plants with broad thin leaves. Some of the species most likely to be affected are palm, dracaena, dieffenbachia, peace lily, and ZZ plant.