Community

Posted 5h ago by @rayslay25

Dealing with thrips πŸ˜€πŸ‘Ž my poor brand new orchid looks lik...

Dealing with thrips πŸ˜€πŸ‘Ž my poor brand new orchid looks like she’s gonna lose her petals soon. Had to spray them down twice now. Ughh
Best Answer
@rayslay25 Thrip treatment

Thrips can fly, crawl and jump.

That means they cover a lot of ground VERY quickly. There will be no safe place to quarantine any other plants inside or out.

Because of this I do advise treating all of the plants, even though they may not look like they have thrips. It's much easier than going through the process over and over. Because the one next to it had one you didn't see.

And there is nothing worse than treating one plant and then having to start again.

To get of them for good, I recommend:
-1 tablespoon pure neem oil, plus
-1/2 teaspoon Castile soap mixed with
-4 cups water (32 ounce) in a spray bottle. The soap helps the neem mix with the water so it does not separate.

Spray down plants and don't miss anythingβ€”spray stems, tips and bottoms of leaves all of it! You want it dripping off.

When you water, water with your treatment because the larvae do crawl around the soil.

Treat every 3 days for 6 weeks. DO NOT skip a treatment. If you do, begin the 6 week process over again.

They take longer to eradicate because they burrow into the plant tissue to lay eggs. So it’s more difficult to get them all.

I do not recommend systematics like Bonide because many thrip colonies have built up a resistance. Neem can make your plants photosensitive so it’s a good idea to keep them out of direct sunshine while you are completing this treatment process.

If you have any questions just ask. But this will end your thrip problems for good even though it's a real pain in the butt! 🩷
@rayslay25 I’m sorry 😞 Do you need a treatment plan? The one for thrips in pretty intensive. What are you using to spray? And how do you know it’s thrips, do you have any pics?
@DreamMachine I was using a soap-based insect spray (the label fell off so I can’t recall the name exactly), but I just ran out. Not able to get to the grocery store until tomorrow but they were running rampant today, so I made a dawn & alcohol mix and gave them a quick do over. What do you reccomend?? I was planning on making a neem oil & alcohol mix for them next week
@rayslay25 I’ll give you the thrip treatment and recipe. I would not use alcohol nor dish detergent, they are too harsh on your plants and will destroy the waxy cuticle.
@DreamMachine this is SO helpful! Thank you so much!!! I’ll be sure to get those ingredients tomorrow and start asap.