@farms Tuesday : Thrips

Thrip is a very common pest which is pervasive in greenhouses and gardens.The adult thrip is a very small black slender insect with two pairs of feathery wings.This insect causes damages to plants by sucking the plant's juice and scraping at the flowers, fruits, and leaves of the plant. Consequently, the leaves of the plant may turn pale, silvery, and splotchy, then eventually dies. The Injured ones get twisted, scarred and discoloured.

The extremely active thrips feed in very large groups. The thrips either leap or fly away when there are disturbances. Examples of host plants include strawberry, onions, carrots, beans, squash and several other vegetables and flowers (most especially gladioli and roses). Both the winged adult and the wingless larva are attracted to yellow, white, and other light colored blossoms. These insects are also responsible for spreading tomato spotted wilt virus and necrotic spot virus.

Management of thrips is primarily a matter of good maintenance of the garden, thus reducing the breeding places for the thrips and also taking off the plant devris while it is sill green and on the ground. These insects lay their eggs in slits they make in live plant stems. Being Vigilant — being able to spot problems early and respond to them — is also very necessary. Also, check the plants for damages and clusters of these pests at the locations where the leaves are attached to stems. Furthermore, be sure to use the safe and proven chemical products. The removal of weeds and grasses from the garden aids to eliminate alternate hosts. It is recommended that you inspect all plants you bring into the garden for signs of thrips or their damages. Introducing Blue sticky traps are helpful for the monitoring of the adult populations. Also, you can introduce other commercially beneficial insects, such as the minute pirate bugs, ladybugs, and lacewing to attack and destroy all stages of this pest. For optimal results, introduce these beneficial organisms after first knocking down severe infestations with water spray or other method.

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Thanks for making time to read this article. I hope you learned something.