Thrips!
Today I noticed tiny black specks moving around on my golden croc philo, knocked one off and captured a pic under a microscope, and google confirmed it’s an adult thrip! 😩😩😩 I’ll hit it with the neem spray #TheWateringHole taught me and maybe alternate with Cap Jacks weekly. I’ve been battling thrip larva on some other plants but finding adults is a first. 😭
Here are my questions:
1) I counted maybe 5, definitely less than 10 adults. All on one plant. How quickly can this infestation explode???
2) I know I’m supposed to quarantine it, but I really don’t have the space. How far can these things fly? Would the opposite side of a large room be far enough? #thrips #PestControl #PlantsMakePeopleHappy #PlantAddict #SlinkyFivespot8 #help
Here are my questions:
1) I counted maybe 5, definitely less than 10 adults. All on one plant. How quickly can this infestation explode???
2) I know I’m supposed to quarantine it, but I really don’t have the space. How far can these things fly? Would the opposite side of a large room be far enough? #thrips #PestControl #PlantsMakePeopleHappy #PlantAddict #SlinkyFivespot8 #help
1ft to light, direct
6” pot with drainage
Last watered 2 days ago
11
@SlinkyFivespot8 Oh those darn things! Nice job getting a clear pic!!
I imagine you might have already found this post, but just in case…it has some great advice from Shannon @SuperbRaspfern
https://greg.app/post/3sy61z/i-bought-a-6-pk-of-assorted-plants-that-came-with-thrips-and-or-mealy-bugs-now-im-losing-all-my
I imagine you might have already found this post, but just in case…it has some great advice from Shannon @SuperbRaspfern
https://greg.app/post/3sy61z/i-bought-a-6-pk-of-assorted-plants-that-came-with-thrips-and-or-mealy-bugs-now-im-losing-all-my
@SlinkyFivespot8 As for isolating, as far away as possible is best. Do you have room without any plants in it currently?
@debbiedo that’s the best toy microscope pic so far and I’m grossed out now 😂That neem recipe is the same one I learned from the group, and what I used tonight. As for a room with no plants, nope 🤦♀️. My staircase gets a pretty good amount of light and even that is where I’ve got my newer plants quarantining!
@SlinkyFivespot8 , Lauren, ugh! Sometimes microscopes are a double edged 🗡️. I’m sorry you have these little buggers, I have seen others that had them and had disasters. I hope you all come through soon!!
These definitely fly far. Across a room will not be enough.
Please don't add anymore plants until you have this completely under control you just increase the problem with more plants to treat. It will be a never ending cycle.
Since they have to be in the same room. TREAT EVERY SINGLE PLANT. This is non-negotiable. It's the only way to stop them.
Trust me I know it sucks I had over 500 plants and an extensive collection before I pared down to a couple hundred. I had spider mites and the fastest way is to treat every single one.
One egg laid on a plant across the room just starts miserable cycle if not treated.
Thrip treatment:
MUST be Pure Neem oil the pre mixed is too watered down to be effective.
1 Tablespoon Need oil + 1/2 Teaspoon soap (Castile preferred its plant safe)
Mixed in 32 ounces of water (4 cups)
OR
Insecticidal Soap: (Castile Recommended)
1 Tablespoon Castile + 4 cups water
Pure Neem Oil is always best it works like a systematic for about 5 days. So when 1 feeds it will keep killing.
Please don't add anymore plants until you have this completely under control you just increase the problem with more plants to treat. It will be a never ending cycle.
Since they have to be in the same room. TREAT EVERY SINGLE PLANT. This is non-negotiable. It's the only way to stop them.
Trust me I know it sucks I had over 500 plants and an extensive collection before I pared down to a couple hundred. I had spider mites and the fastest way is to treat every single one.
One egg laid on a plant across the room just starts miserable cycle if not treated.
Thrip treatment:
MUST be Pure Neem oil the pre mixed is too watered down to be effective.
1 Tablespoon Need oil + 1/2 Teaspoon soap (Castile preferred its plant safe)
Mixed in 32 ounces of water (4 cups)
OR
Insecticidal Soap: (Castile Recommended)
1 Tablespoon Castile + 4 cups water
Pure Neem Oil is always best it works like a systematic for about 5 days. So when 1 feeds it will keep killing.
Thrip treatment
They fly jump and crawl.
I do advise treating all of the plants in the vicinity of your infected plant. 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 capful or tablespoon on undiluted neem oil + 1/2 teaspoon on Castile soap mix in a 32 ounce spray bottle. The soap helps the neem mix with the water so it does not separate.
Spray down plants and don't miss anything 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 6 week process 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. 🩷
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! 🩷
They fly jump and crawl.
I do advise treating all of the plants in the vicinity of your infected plant. 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 capful or tablespoon on undiluted neem oil + 1/2 teaspoon on Castile soap mix in a 32 ounce spray bottle. The soap helps the neem mix with the water so it does not separate.
Spray down plants and don't miss anything 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 6 week process 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. 🩷
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! 🩷
@SuperbRaspfern That is the neem recipe that I’ve started using, and I did actually begin treating all my plants due to my lack of quarantine space. But every 3 days??! 😩😩😩
And 1 more question please: since neem isn’t ok to use on cacti and succulents, I was just doing the peppermint castile and water mix on those. But my SOT and a few other were right under the infected golden croc. 😣 And I have succulents mixed in with my whole collection. Do I keep just using the soap mix, or should I use the Captain Jacks insecticide super soap on those? Or something different altogether?
Thanks so much for your help and everyone else!
And 1 more question please: since neem isn’t ok to use on cacti and succulents, I was just doing the peppermint castile and water mix on those. But my SOT and a few other were right under the infected golden croc. 😣 And I have succulents mixed in with my whole collection. Do I keep just using the soap mix, or should I use the Captain Jacks insecticide super soap on those? Or something different altogether?
Thanks so much for your help and everyone else!
@SlinkyFivespot8 I would be tempted to order beneficial insects to quarantine in a very small space with your succulents- like clear plastic bins. DMV beneficials has a “thrips package” which is 3 different types. Thrips are wily and we’ve had friends on here lose their entire collection. I’d follow @SuperbRaspfern ‘s advice to a tee!
Use the neem in your succulents as well. I've used it on my own and had no issues whatsoever. Just more everything away from the windows. Direct sun will burn them throughout treatment.
And YES, every 3 days for success.
Captain Jacks won't work it won't be a high enough dose.
Start with the Neem on everything and your 3 weeks starts at that time.
Do not count previous treatments because you were not treating all plants and were switching it up.
Consistency is key.
Beneficial insect do work but they are expensive. Although they do the work for you, I love them, but like I said they are expensive and to do the job you usually need to add new ones every week for a few weeks.
You cannot do beneficial with neem treatments it is one or the other. Otherwise your beneficial would suffer and you would be throwing your money away.
And YES, every 3 days for success.
Captain Jacks won't work it won't be a high enough dose.
Start with the Neem on everything and your 3 weeks starts at that time.
Do not count previous treatments because you were not treating all plants and were switching it up.
Consistency is key.
Beneficial insect do work but they are expensive. Although they do the work for you, I love them, but like I said they are expensive and to do the job you usually need to add new ones every week for a few weeks.
You cannot do beneficial with neem treatments it is one or the other. Otherwise your beneficial would suffer and you would be throwing your money away.