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janartmuse

Thrips?

janartmuse
9 years ago

Someone mentioned thrips in one of the threads. How can you tell if AVs have them? I got thrips once on my orchids through an open window, but never thought of the AVs, which are mixed with the orchids. If I have them, how on earth dan I get rid of them? My plants look healthy. Janine

Comments (8)

  • Karin
    9 years ago

    First indicator of thrips is spilled pollen on your blooms and leaves. if you look at the blossoms, sometimes you'll see a tiny insect moving about. then you KNOW you have them.

    To battle them, you can disbud once and dip everything in forbid, or I've heard that disbudding for 6 months works too. or dip in lice shampoo, etc.. (google is your friend...)

    I disbudded and "only" sprayed my plants, and the thrips are back now. Since I will be moving in the near future, I will be disbudding everything again anyways. and i suppose i will be dipping the plants this time, not just spraying.

    Karin

  • fortyseven_gw
    9 years ago

    Check out the search feature, type in "Irina thrips" for info
    J

  • susan_kc
    9 years ago

    Look for an insecticide with imidacloprid. Bayer makes some as well as some other companies. It will kill them and is safer than some of the more heavy duty options. You can get it as a spray or soil drench. I have started using bonide granules in my av's. It is a systemic with imidacloprid.

  • irina_co
    9 years ago

    Hello everybody!

    I am considering changing my name to Irina_thrips...

    Same problems every year, summer - thrips - fall and spring - powdery mildew. Same illusions that if you remove the buds - thrips will go away - sorry - friends - but it is a wishful thinking - they won't.

    If you google the life cycle of thrips...any info that comes with .edu at the end = means from a college - will work.

    They have several stages- from egg to maturity - and one of them - they dig themselves into the soil - and rest. So - yup -you remove the blossoms and buds - but there is a whole stash of them ready to emerge from the pot. Thrips are coming from outside - what do they eat when they emerge in spring when there are no blossoms yet and no pollen - yup - young shoots. Your AV leaves emerge, they feed on them- and then you have mars and spots and distorted leaves.
    So - did I prove the point?

    Next - systemics. The plant will not let any systemics go into the buds - it protects the future generation. What about leaves, shoots, roots? Aha - here we can nail them = disbud = and spray with systemics. Avid, imidacloprid (powder for spraying is sold under the name "Merit' - Amazon has it). You have 1-3 months residual action - so the current crop of thrips is caput. But - window is open, i is still warm...you will need to spray again if you live in a warmer climate.

    Do not give up. You can keep them in check. And then you have no thrips winter to rest.

    Irina_thrips, spent Saturday and Sunday fighting the critters with a 4 gallon battery sprayer. Trying to figure out - where is half of my plants now... I carried them out -sprayed - carried back...

  • sueok_gw
    9 years ago

    Thank you for explaining this so even I could understand it, Irina_thrips. I hope you found all of your plants again. I've learned so much on this forum, but I've also started obsessing about the problems avs can have. Sigh. Sometimes ignorance is nice, but its really good to know what to watch for.

    Thanks to all who contribute to my education here!

    Sue

  • fortyseven_gw
    9 years ago

    Irina
    So sorry to hear you are still battling thrips. However, am
    very glad to see you back posting again.
    Joanne

  • Mary246
    9 years ago

    I'm glad to see you too, Irina. One question about treating thrips. I read in one of your earlier posts to spray 3 times. Is that once a week for three weeks? I got the Bayer Rose and Tree spray from Lowes. I did dilute it.
    Thanks
    Mary

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