How to deal with thrips on indoor plants: methods and photos. Thrips on indoor plants: how to deal with the pest Prevention of pests
Every gardener should know that caring for indoor plants comes down not only to watering and fertilizing, but also involves protection from pests. One of them is thrips, which, if left unchecked, can cause serious damage to plants, so at the first sign of their appearance it is necessary to take immediate action.
Description
Recognizing thrips is not that difficult. They look like small insects with an elongated body up to 2 mm long, light yellow, black or dark brown. In adults they are usually found two pairs of wings with long hairs. The larvae of the pest have a light yellow body and do not exceed 1 mm in length.
An additional clue about the presence of thrips can be the nature of their movement: adult individuals move very quickly, often making sharp jumps using their belly. The difference between males and females is that the former have a slimmer, but not so long body. They are also painted in different colors.
Thrips can also be distinguished by their wings: in some species they can be quite short, in others they may not be at all.
Thrips are one of the many groups of pests that include more than 2000 varieties. About 200 species live in our country. Their main habitats are leaves, flowers and buds of indoor plants. They feed on nectar and sap from leaf tissue.
Thrips are dangerous because they reproduce very quickly. Leaf tissue or flowers are used as a site for laying eggs. After just 10 days, new offspring emerge from the eggs. However, in order for the larvae to develop into adult insects, it takes one month. At this moment, a great threat appears for plants, since as a result of the activity of pests they lose their attractiveness and begin to be affected by viral diseases. Over time, when the insects drink all the juices from one plant, they move on to others located nearby.
How to detect thrips on indoor plants?
If, during the inspection of indoor plants, you find that some leaves have become discolored, as well as there are many points caused by punctures, then this is a clear sign that thrips have appeared in your apartment.
If you pay attention to the lower part of the leaves, you can find brownish or brownish spots there. Damaged areas often turn silvery, which can be explained by air entering the cells.
If prompt treatment measures are not taken at the first signs of thrips activity, subsequently foliage is dying off, deformation of flowers and buds. Insects cause additional harm by depositing sticky secretions, which provide a favorable environment for the development of sooty fungus. Although thrips are not picky about their food, their most preferred indoor plants are violets, begonias, roses, citrus fruits, orchids and ficus.
Most violets suffer from thrips larvae, because they destroy the anther of the flower. At the first signs of their appearance, it is necessary to pick off all flowers and buds over the next 1.5 months, combining this with treatment with suitable preparations.
Common types of thrips
The first information about the existence of thrips was received back in 1744, when these pests were discovered by Karl de Geer. Today, people have become more aware of the species diversity of these pests, including highlight special types, affecting ornamental plants more often than others:
How to get rid of thrips on indoor plants?
Having realized that your indoor flowers are already affected by thrips, you urgent action must be taken:
How to fight thrips on indoor plants using folk remedies?
If you notice only a few thrips larvae and the plants are not yet completely affected, then you can choose softer ways of fighting with this pest, what folk remedies can help you with:
Preventive measures
In order not to have to deal with thrips on the very first day after purchasing a plant, it must be chosen very carefully. Arriving home, it should be placed in a separate room and for two to three weeks monitor his condition. To prevent pests from spreading to other plants in your home, you must regularly carry out the following activities:
It is not always possible to completely destroy triops the first time. The fact is that after the measures taken, the larvae of this pest can, within a certain period of time, stay outside the plant, and later they may return again. Therefore, it is recommended from the very first day, when a houseplant appears in your home, to begin taking preventive measures, so that later you do not spend a lot of time and effort fighting these pests.
Conclusion
The joy of growing indoor plants at home can be overshadowed by pests. This is especially true for thrips, whose larvae can cause serious damage to flowers. Therefore, the first thing every gardener should know is what signs these pests can be identified by. It is equally important to know what control methods can be used to destroy them. Although today there is enough many effective drugs, however, this process can be quite lengthy. Therefore, it is best to start growing indoor plants with prevention, which will avoid such difficulties and save a lot of time.
Thrips on indoor plants
Various pests cause serious damage to plants. Thrips appear suddenly on indoor plants and force gardeners to immediately look for detailed information about the pests, study their appearance from photos and wonder how to deal with them, because in the absence of adequate measures, the flower will die quite quickly.
Thrips (aka bladderlegs) are a large order of insects, most species of which cause significant damage to agricultural crops, as well as various indoor plants. More than 3 hundred species of these pests are common in our country.
The body of the pest is elongated, up to 2 mm, color varies (usually inconspicuous - light yellow, dark brown or black). Adults have 2 pairs of narrow wings with long hairs. Depending on the type of thrips, the length of the wings varies; some have no wings. The head has antennae consisting of segments (on average 9 segments). The mouthparts are piercing-sucking type. The size of the light yellow larvae is no more than 1 mm.
Mature individuals move very quickly thanks to 3 pairs of legs located in the thoracic region. Each foot has 1 tooth and 1 suction bubble-like device.
They reproduce actively, capable of doubling the size of their population in 4-6 days. Places for egg laying are flowers and leaf tissue. The offspring hatch after 10 days. The larva develops into an adult insect in 1-2 months. Because of this short developmental cycle, some species are able to produce several litters within a year.
These pests have habits characteristic of social insects. Like ants and termites, they work together to guard their eggs. In addition to sucking juice, thrips carry all sorts of viruses that are dangerous to plants.
The thrips themselves are not always immediately detectable. They are quite secretive and prefer to manage individual plants, gradually moving to others.
Discoloration of some leaves should raise suspicion among the grower. Also, in flowering plants, pollen intensively spills from the stamens onto the petals (the same phenomenon can be observed during hot weather and as a result of a spider mite attack).
If, upon examination, many small punctures are recorded (like from a needle on fabric), it means that they were made by thrips, which means they drank juice from the plant.
Brownish or brown spots can be seen on the lower part of the leaf blades. These are damaged areas. When oxygen enters plant cells, they often take on a silver color. You can also notice a sticky mark and brown-black dots (thrips feces) on the leaf, which contribute to the development of a disease such as sooty fungus.
A late sign of a thrips attack (if rescue measures have not been taken) is the falling of leaves and flowers, as well as bending of the trunk.
Home and chemical control methods
First of all, it is necessary to isolate the flower infected with thrips, replace the surface layer of soil and treat the place where the flower pot was previously located with a soap-alcohol solution.
Remember!
Although manufacturers offer many effective chemicals, not all of them will help get rid of the pest. There are several reasons:
- thrips hides in hard-to-reach places for penetration of sprayed substances;
- females lay eggs inside plant tissues;
- pupae often end up in the soil;
- eggs and nymphs have a protective covering that protects them from the effects of contact insecticides (they are best used on decorative foliage plants and various flowering species, but before the budding phase).
Can be used:
- Akarin and Fitoverm (toxicity class VI - low danger to humans and animals);
- Aktara, Inta-Vir, Konfidor Extra, Tanrek, Spintor, Agravertin, Karate, Bankol and Karbofos (III class - moderately dangerous);
- Actellik and Vertimek (Class II - highly dangerous).
The last two products are especially toxic, and Karbofos has a very strong and unpleasant smell. Therefore, processing should only be done outdoors. It is recommended to first use the more environmentally friendly biological product Fitoverm, and then the growth stimulator Epin.
Before treating with one or another insecticide, you need to wash the plant under a warm shower. The drugs must be used in personal protective equipment, having carefully read the instructions and recommendations of the manufacturers.
Spraying with preparations at temperatures below 18°C is ineffective. The optimal temperature regime is 20-26°C. It is advisable to carry out the operation before noon and avoid direct sunlight on the leaves that are wet from the “chemicals,” otherwise the plant will get burned and the pesticide components will be destroyed under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. It is imperative to ventilate the room.
Using improvised means
In the initial stage of a plant being infected by a pest, you can try to get rid of it using folk remedies. For example:
All this can be used morning and evening.
Prevention
Each purchased plant must be thoroughly examined, and when it is found at home, it must be sent into isolation for 2-3 weeks of quarantine. Preventative treatment with an insecticide can be carried out. Inspection (preferably with a magnifying glass) should be regular, special attention should be paid to the lower part of the leaf plates.
Note!
Thrips love dry air, so you need to maintain optimal humidity in the room. It is advisable to periodically provide the plants with a warm shower, spray them daily or wipe the leaves once every 5 days.
Sticky blue or yellow traps hung around the perimeter will help you quickly detect the pest.
The source of thrips is donated and purchased bouquets of flowers. It is recommended to place them away from indoor plants.
Affected buds, flowers and inflorescences should be removed without regret. If there were pests on the plant, then it is necessary to replace the top layer of the soil mixture, as well as thoroughly clean the location of the pot.
Flower or western flower, also called Californian, are small, rarely exceeding 1.5 mm in length and have a huge appetite, insects from the many species of the thrips order. You will find photos and descriptions of thrips species.
Thrips have several stages of development. The female lays up to 300 eggs in leaves, flowers or stems, developing in 2–4 days at a temperature of +25°C and up to 11 days at +15°C. The first two larval stages feed on the surface of the leaves, two more go under the surface of the soil, closer to the roots, from where, after 2–3 days, an adult individual capable of reproduction appears.
Western thrips is widespread and, thanks to trade, was brought to almost all countries and continents, and although it is most popular in the mid-latitudes of the subtropics, it also lives in other climatic zones where there is no high humidity and too low temperatures. In Russia, the pest is included in the list of quarantine objects with limited distribution.
Where do they come from?
During warm periods, thrips can be brought into the house from the street., dachas, along with a bouquet of peonies or roses, for which they have a special weakness. They can fly in on their own, for example, through a balcony from a flower bed located under the windows. You can bring the insect in a bag, on clothes or a bunch of any greenery that falls under the almost unlimited diet of thrips, as well as with purchased ornamental plants, where they can hide in the soil, in buds or near the inflorescences.
How to recognize them?
Adults have wings, are capable of making very long flights and easily jump from one plant to another. The larvae are almost no different from mature individuals, they are smaller, up to 1 mm, they do not have wings, their legs are not as mobile and shortened, and their color is lighter.
You can detect insects on a houseplant on the leaves, buds and soil, as well as by the products of their vital activity - small black dots. The most obvious sign that a plant is infected is damage caused by flower thrips.
Harm and features of the fight
General signs of infection:
- The formation of small dark or discolored dots on the surface of the leaves - traces of insect bites that die off after the loss of cell sap.
- Premature wilting, bending of stems and leaves, deformation or too small size of opening flowers and buds during the growing season.
- The presence of traces of the pest’s activity – a silvery cobwebby or white coating that interferes with normal photosynthesis.
- The appearance of a streak-like network, connecting into solid brown or brown spots, forming gaps, causing the leaves and buds to dry out and die.
The danger also lies in the fact that thrips multiply very quickly on flowers, and as the population grows, the likelihood of plant death also increases. If measures to destroy the pest are not taken in time, the flower may die, and when finished with one, thrips will immediately move on to the next. We talked in detail about how to deal with these insects in.
Violet
Signs:
- leaves droop;
- traces of drying may appear;
- edges curl;
- Pollen is rapidly falling from the opened buds.
The fight against insects that attack a violet begins with the quarantine of the infected plant.
- It is separated from others, preferably in a room without any greenery.
- After isolation, the violet is treated with an insecticide solution intended specifically for flower thrips and covered with a plastic bag.
- After a day, the bag is removed, and leaving the flower in isolation, they continue with normal care.
- Two weeks later, the procedure is repeated to get rid of any surviving larvae.
Ficus
Attention: The selection of chemicals is made strictly for indoor plants, in order to avoid the risk of poisoning.
Rose
On roses, thrips most often settle in unopened buds, feeding on their cell sap and causing the flowers to not open and quickly dry out.
To combat pests on garden roses, The root system of the plant is treated with a chemical solution once every 10–14 days. It is prohibited to spray buds growing in the garden, because all insecticides are also poisonous to bees. In the case of indoor roses, there are no such restrictions, and its buds are treated along with the roots, but the most effective way is to spray the roots. Infected flowers are also pruned, which reduces the number of insects and the rate of population growth.
Phalaenopsis
Thrips cause the same damage to orchids as they do to most plants. Phalaenopsis leaves become covered with a thin film, wither and die. Flowers and roots are damaged.
You will learn more about where thrips on an orchid come from and how to deal with them.
Cyclamena
For cyclamen that has come under attack from pests, along with the usual symptoms, it is also characteristic that the leaves curl upward. They destroy insects, as in the case of an orchid:
If cyclamen seeds are infected, then flower thrips can be transmitted along with them, from where they are selected at high temperature and low humidity. Such conditions are the most favorable for their reproduction.
Photo
The photo shows flower thrips on various flowers, you can see how it looks on ficus benjamina, violet, rose and other indoor plants.
Prevention
General methods for controlling Western flower thrips come down to a number of rules. This is a quarantine of an infected plant, and it is important to take into account that insects can jump from the isolated flower to a neighboring one when shaking.
After isolation, nearby flowers are inspected, for migrated individuals and deposited larvae feeding on the undersides of leaves. In an affected plant, it is not superfluous to remove the top layer of soil. After all checks, insecticides are used, for example:
- Fitoverm.
- Virtimec.
- Aktilik.
- Carboform.
- Intavir and others.
Given the extreme vitality and adaptability of thrips to chemicals, if it was not possible to destroy the entire population at once, the drug is changed, otherwise there is a risk of encountering larvae that will not be harmed by the insecticide, even if the previous generation was exterminated.
More details about how to deal with thrips were described in.
Conclusion
Flower thrips - a ruthless enemy. In order not to miss the moment of its appearance and not to find the plant on the verge of death, it is worth remembering: it is much easier to prevent a war with a pest than to deal with its consequences, but if you still get into the house and choose a victim, you should act immediately.
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The color of adults varies from white and yellow to brown and dark brown. The larvae are similar in appearance to adult insects, but without wings. They usually do not exceed 1 mm in length. The color of the larval body varies from light yellow to grayish.
The food for thrips is plant sap. Because of this, they do not receive the amount of nutrients necessary for normal growth. As a result, their development is inhibited.
Reasons for appearance
For thrips to appear on indoor plants, certain conditions are required. Causes and ways of pest infestation:
- Penetration through open windows and doors from the street, from neighboring apartments. Thrips can be brought into the room through the window by the wind.
- Buying a flower with already contaminated soil.
- Bringing meadow flowers into the house or from a flower bed. There is always a chance that they are infected.
- Insufficient watering and dry air.
Signs of plant damage
Although thrips live in groups and have sizes that are easy to see, they lead a fairly hidden lifestyle and are well camouflaged. It can be difficult to immediately detect that a plant is infected.
Upon careful examination, you can detect a number of traces of pest activity:
- puncture points on leaves;
- brown and brown spots on the inside of the leaf plate, silvery ones on the outside;
- multiple brown spots along the edges of leaves;
- leaves become transparent, die and fall off;
- sticky traces of secretion on the surface;
- deformation of buds and stems.
How to fight: effective methods
If thrips are found on indoor plants, it is necessary to take measures to destroy them as quickly as possible.
General rules
To identify which flowerpots contain thrips, it is recommended to place sticky traps around their perimeter. Infected flowers must be isolated to avoid infecting other plants. You need to transport it carefully so that the larvae and adults do not fall out of the pot. But for preventive purposes, it is recommended to treat all plants in the house with a weak solution of fungicide.
Wash all parts of the infected plant in the shower. You can wipe the leaves and shoots with a cotton pad soaked in a solution of alcohol and water (1:1) or tobacco infusion. Then wash off the solution and leave the plant to dry.
Remove the top layer of soil, or better yet, replace it completely. Rinse the root system well. Transplant the flower into a new pot with disinfected soil. If the plant is flowering, then all flowers and buds need to be trimmed. Wash the location of the infected flowerpot with a solution of laundry soap and alcohol.
Chemicals and insecticides
Effective insecticides:
- Fitoverm- it is recommended to use it first of all as one of the safest means. Dilute 2 ml of the drug in 0.2 liters of water. Treat the plant. Repeat the procedure 3-4 times every 6-8 days. After spraying, put polyethylene on the flowerpot and remove it after a day.
- Confidor- dilute 1 g of product in 0.5 liters of water. Spray the plant and soil. As a rule, insects die after just a few hours. It is recommended to spill the soil with a weaker solution.
- Agravertine- dissolve 5 ml of the drug in 500 ml of water. Spray the diseased plant. Cover the top of the pot with a bag and remove it the next day.
- Mospilan- powder, which is diluted in water to obtain a solution (2.5 g per 1 l). Water the flower and spray it.
- Aktara- a powerful complex insecticide. To spray a plant, dilute 1 g of the drug in 1.25 liters of water, for watering the soil, 1 g per 10 liters. The optimal number of procedures is 3-4. The frequency of spraying is once every 10 days.
- Aktellik- a drug that is used for severe damage to flowerpots. Dilute 2 ml ampoule in 1 liter of water. Spray the plant and put a bag on top for 1 day. The product has a pungent odor, so treatment can only be carried out outdoors.
Chemicals work effectively if the air temperature in the room is not lower than +18°C, and preferably +25-26 degrees. Otherwise, processing may not bring the desired result. If after 2 procedures the thrips are not destroyed, it is worth replacing the drug. Perhaps insects have developed resistance to the active substances.
Safety precautions when working with chemicals:
- Use insecticides strictly according to the instructions indicated on the package.
- In summer, it is better to treat with chemicals outside, in winter - in the bathroom.
- During the procedure, protect hair, respiratory organs, and skin from chemicals.
- After treatment, you cannot immediately return the flowerpot to its place.
- Avoid exposure of the treated flowerpot to direct sunlight.
- If the chemical was used indoors, it should be well ventilated.
- After the procedure, wash your hands and face with soap. Rinse your mouth with water.
Folk remedies
If the infection has just occurred, the thrips have not yet had time to breed and severely damage the plant, you can resort to the help of folk remedies.
Proven recipes:
- Take 50 g of dry crushed marigolds. Place in a glass jar and add 0.5 liters of warm water. After 2 days, strain the resulting infusion. Spray affected plants.
- Grind 20 g of dry mustard leaves. Pour 1 liter of boiling water. Leave for 2 days. Before use, dilute the product with water (1 teaspoon per glass of water). Water the soil. Repeat the procedure for 3 days in a row, then every 3-4 days until the thrips completely disappear.
- Pour crushed dry tobacco (100 g) into hot, but not boiling water (1 l). Leave for 24 hours and strain. Dilute the resulting infusion with 1 liter of water. Apply treatment once a day in the morning only to the above-ground parts of the infected plant.
- Pour 50 g of fresh celandine or 100 g of dry celandine into 1 liter of water and boil for 5 minutes. Leave to infuse for 10-12 hours. Strain the product and treat the plants.
Indoor crops are treated with decoctions and infusions in the morning.
Pest prevention
Thrips are one of those pests that are difficult to get rid of as quickly as possible. Especially if they affect large areas of greenhouses and greenhouses. Therefore, it is better to prevent their appearance on indoor plants in advance.
- After purchasing a flowerpot, place it in a separate room for 2-3 weeks and monitor its condition.
- Inspect regularly for damage and pests.
- Maintain humidity 50-70%.
- Provide sufficient watering. The soil should not dry out.
- Periodically spray the plants with infusion of celandine or tobacco to repel thrips.
- Place sticky traps among flowerpots to kill adult insects.
Thrips are one of the most common plant pests. Their vital activity causes irreparable damage, as a result of which leaves, stems, flowers gradually wither, and plants die. It is necessary to regularly monitor the condition of indoor plants in order to promptly identify pests and combat them.
More useful information on how to deal with thrips can be found after watching the video:
Among the pests of indoor flowers, there are many that are difficult to notice, as they are microscopic. But both adults and larvae cause significant harm. Often you have to say goodbye to your favorite plant due to severe insect damage.
Male thrips differ from females in having a longer body and smaller size.
The color of insects depends on the species. There are more than two thousand varieties of the pest. The most common are considered heterovorous, tobacco, decorative, and rose. Thrips' habitat can be flowers, where they crawl between the petals in search of food. In addition, they take root well on leaves. There thrips go through the entire life cycle from eggs, larvae to pronymph, nymph, adult, which lasts within 20-30 days. In one year, up to 12 generations of a harmful insect grow.
All types of indoor flowers are affected by thrips. Begonias are especially susceptible to the pest.
- clusters of black dots on the back of the leaf
- yellow spots on flowers, buds, leaves
- leaf curling
- falling buds
- wilting and drying of inflorescences
When a large number of insects accumulate on a plant, traces of excrement are visible on the leaf blades. Areas of silver color appear on the flowers. In addition to deformation of the buds, curvature of the shoots occurs.
The danger of thrips lies in the fact that they are carriers of viral infections. And then the plant may die due to blocking food supplies. In two to three weeks, thrips will spread to all indoor plants, gradually leading to their death.
To achieve the maximum effect from chemical treatment, after spraying the pot with the plant is covered with a plastic bag and left for an hour. Then they try to keep the diseased flower separate from other green neighbors. Insecticides get rid of pests with double treatment.
Traditional methods of controlling bladder-footed pests are proven and effective if used correctly.
You need to know preventative measures to protect indoor flowers from a dangerous pest:
- First of all, a flower purchased in a store or taken from a friend must undergo quarantine. It is placed away from other plants and the condition is monitored closely. If after 2-3 weeks no signs of infection appear, then you can determine a permanent place for the flower on the windowsill.
- Often people themselves contribute to the spread of thrips. When processing infected flowers, you must wash your hands with soap after the procedure. A hygienic shower is carried out regularly for all flowers in the house. The leaves must be kept clean, then pests will not appear.
- Control of temperature and air humidity plays an important role in prevention. The best way to prevent thrips is to hang sticky tape around your plants.
In order not to waste time and energy fighting a hidden enemy, you must be ready to repel his attacks.
More information can be found in the video: