Oh dear. Are you certain you have thrips? I ask because they typically stay in the flowers.

Can you post images? I know the critters are small, but please try.

Also, please give us a detailed description -- length & width are good starters, color, too.

Hi jean001:-)

I cut a piece off and brought it to the greenhouse, and they said they were thrips. They also told be to buy systemics..I walked out emptied handed and came here to my friends for another opinion..

They are tiny small, about the lenth of less than 1/8 of an inch..Brownish in color. Slender bodies. They are coming in and out of all my flowers, specifically..

I remember someone showing me these things on their plants at Worms Way years ago, where they grow tons of citrus, telling me they were thrips when I noticed one crawling on a flower...

I can try and take a pic, but they are constantly moving kind of fast. I would like to figure a cure by tomorrow or the next, because it is suppose to rain and no sun till then..It would be a perfect time to spray the leaves with some sort of pest killer..

Let me see if I can get a pic..

Thanks jean..

Well, short of a picture. your description sounds okay.

So now I have another question. Are they causing any problem? You can have quite a few with citrus and get just some scarring on the rind.

Beneficial insects will move in to help you control any insect pest problem you have provided you make an environment that is attractive to them, no need to go out and buy them most of which will not stay around where you want them unless the habitat is attractive to them. Have some pests around is pretty necessary if you are going to have any beneficials around even though the beneficials can exist on the pollen of some plants for a time. Beneficials need shelter, moisture, and a food source to stay in any place for any time.

What you might spray around can adversly affect the beneficials as well as any pests you may have. Insecticidal Soap can help control thrips, but it must contact the thrips (people that tell you the thrips must contact the soap have it kind of backwards) because once dry the soap has no affect, but that soap will also kill off any beneficials it contacts as well which is why due care is needed when spraying anything that could harm any insect.

Purchase yourself some 1600 X-clude timed release Pyrethrum if you don't mind chemicals. I'm not that big on them and I try to use them sparingly so as not to harm the environment. This stuff works. Get a large enough plastic bag and lightly spray the tree pull the bag over it. Good riddance thrips. The other solution is to purchase some beneficial bugs and let them do their job. Happy Eradicating.

Here is the best I could do..Sorry. Not quite use to using my new camera yet..

You are too funny! 'Killer', indeed. Yep, you gots thrips.

I actually don't hate the recommendation offered by donaldb, surprise! My two issues are that it is a pyrethrum product, and that this plant is in your work place. Lots and lots of folks are very allergic to pyrethrum-based chemicals.

Can you take this plant home for a few weeks? Or are you and/or other family members allergic? Or do you have pets?

Hello,

I would have no where at home for it..Then too, I am afraid it would infect my others..

I did take it outside this am, while it was above 32 degrees, and chop the heck out of it. I took off all the blossom and buds, and a few leaves. Then I sprayed it off with water, then I sprayed it with"Ced-O-Flora", original plant spray "for indoor use only", as it says on the bottle. I forgot I had purchased this stuff a while back.

After all was done, I saw none at all. Of course the poor tree is about 1foot shorter and almost bare..lol

Do you think this might be the trick. Even though it says for indoor use only, I still sprayed outdoors and brought it in afterwards..The stuff SMELLS!!
Ingredients: Borax.................o.28%
Inert ingred.......99.72%

It also says: Ced-O-Flora does not hurt tender plants if used as instructed..Also good for begonias, ivy and etc..

What do your take on this Jean or Rhizzo/

Thank you for trying to help Don and kimmsr. I would like to try a safe way first..:-)

Sheesh...If I wasn't so tired to go back at times and word check my post's, I might look like I know English!!!Sheesh...

Half the times I post, my eyes and brains just don't line up in my typing!!

What IS your take on this Jean or Rhizzo? The pest issue that is...lol

Sorry, but I've not used that product. But I would suspect that with the buds and flowers gone, the thrips are also gone.

Is that your way of saying that I did a good job Jean, and that I should not worry any longer?

I suppose if I didn't, someone would of helped me even further..Right?

Thank you..

Mike