Thrips: This name sends shivers down your spine? Here, will find many tips to eliminate them!

You think you have seen thrips on your plant? Do not waste time, act now before the damage is too great!

Thrips are one to two millimeter long insects. They are black, brown or yellow with 2 pairs of often folded feathered wings. Larvae, pale in color, resemble adults, but do not fly.

Unfortunately, there are several generations per year. So we can say that thrips are our sneaky enemies all year round. It is essential to keep an eye out for them detected as soon as possible to avoid irreversible damage to our precious plants. Unless there is a particularly virulent attack, it is rare for the plant to die, however, thrips can weaken it and transmit viral diseases. Thrips, like spider mites, thrive in hot, dry weather. When conditions are right, the development of thrips populations can be very rapid.

Individuals in the adult and larval stages feed by piercing plant tissue with their mouthparts and sucking the contents of plant cells. At the location of the dead cells, white, brown or silvery-gray spots form, with dark fecal matter left behind by the thrips.

Thrips control is very difficult because pupation (transformation of Diptera larvae into pupae nymphs) takes place in the soil and not on the plant. In most species, the female inserts the eggs inside the stem or leaf. Despite adequate vaporization with an appropriate product, there are always two generations that have not been affected and will take over as soon as your back is turned. It is therefore necessary to repeat the treatments every 5 to 7 days. And stay vigilant for the next three months.

Both adult and larval stages feed by piercing plant tissue with their mouthparts and sucking the contents of plant cells. At the location of the dead cells, white or brown spots are formed, to which dark feces left by the thrips are added.

Prevention: Chemical, biological and mechanical control