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north53zone2b

insect question on indoor plants

north53 Z2b MB
14 years ago

Specifically I need advice on thrips. There is another post where insect problems are mentioned, but it's kind of buried under another subject line.

Anyway, for most problems I find that insecticidal soap does the trick, but I'm being defeated by thrips.

The plant is Eucharis grandiflora or Amazon lily. It is a lovely plant with long wide leaves and a white flower which resembles a daffodil. It isn't in my home, but at the local library. I care for the plants there and am trying to keep this thrip problem from spreading to the many other plants there.

I know I could just toss the plant, but I really like it. I have tossed a few other plants that it spread to, but they are common and easy to replace.

Anyway, what I've tried so far: For the summer I brought the plant home, isolated it, & sprayed it regularly with Endall. Prior to that I had tried Neem oil and insecticidal soap. Before returning the plant to the library I repotted it and sprayed it again. Here it is just a week later and I spotted a thrip on a leaf.

Please anyone, what can I do to get rid of this pest?

Brenda, you mentioned thrips, what do you use on them?

Comments (5)

  • valleyrimgirl
    14 years ago

    Do you have some malathion at home? You will want to spray the plant in a well ventilated area...maybe outside on your deck.

    Glads are very well known for having thrips. I love to bring in large bunches of glads in each summer. Of course, then I often bring in thrips too.

    As I was googling thrips I came across an article in a book....it said that the thrips feed between the folds of the leaves at the base of the leaf. Therefore, when you are spraying you need to spray right into the base of the leaf. You will want to spray again in about a week just to be sure that you got all the thrips.

    Thrips also seem to love a plant that is in need of being watered. I almost lost a unique wandering jew this fall because of being busy and not realizing that it was being taken over by thrips. I saved a few slips of it and they are rooting in a cup of water on the windowledge and I will have to start the plant all over again.

    Hope you are able to get rid of the thrips and can save your plant. Sounds like it definitely is one worth saving.

    Brenda

  • marricgardens
    14 years ago

    Here's what I do for white flies or thrips.
    1. Get a large dry cleaning bag or I have used a large garbage bag when I didn't have anything else.
    2. Set the plant, pot and all, into the bag.
    3. Spray insecticidal soap into the bag and then fold over the top.
    4. Leave out of direct light or your plant will burn!
    5. Leave a few hours or overnight, depending on how bad the infestation is.
    6. After taking it out of the bag, watch it for a few days to see if you got all the critters.
    This method works because this way the soap can get everywhere, all the nooks and crannies where these suckers hide. Good Luck. Marg

  • maggiepie_gw
    14 years ago

    Marg, would this method also work for aphids?
    I have some hot chilli plants I want to winter indoors but have been putting it off because I recently found some aphids on one of the chilli plants and don't want to bring them indoors.
    I will have lots of clematis seedlings and don't want them getting infected.

  • marricgardens
    14 years ago

    I use insecticidal soap on aphids but I've just sprayed. If the infestation were bad, I would try it. It seems to me that it would be a good method for controlling them because aphids are born pregnant and this would get all of them. BTW, I also hang yellow sticky cards. I believe for thrips you would need blue ones. I get them at Home Depot or Home Hardware. If you can't find them, get the light blue poster board that kids use for crafts. Cut into the size you want and smear with vaseline. This can also be done with yellow posterboard for white flies. Marg

  • maggiepie_gw
    14 years ago

    I use those yellow sticky strips for fungus gnats, the idea of making your own with cardboard and vaseline sounds like a great idea.
    Thanks Marg.

    Helen

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