You can use this mixture to drench the soil too. In severe cases, you may see that heavily infested plants stop growing. Sometimes, you may see thrips crawling on the underside of leaves or flying around the foliage. In time, the damaged cells multiply, and you’re left with leaf galls. Thrips have mouthparts that pierce soft plant tissue so they can suck plant juices. Adult thrips overwinter in plant debris, bark, or other materials. Thrips are a common houseplant pest, and are very small bodied, straw-colored insects with tiny feathery wings. Sunken streaks and patches – leaves and stems Colored spots or patches – usually silver-white Stunted growth – buds (flower and leaf). You can use regular dish soap by mixing a 1 percent solution to water and spray on the leaves of your plants. To treat a plant for thrips, the first step is to hose the plant down under the sink or shower faucet, dislodging the bugs. There’s another way how thrips damage plants. When routinely checking in with your plant, be certain to pay special attention to the undersides of the leaves, as this is where many of the most common houseplant pests make their home. Insecticidal soap is also an effective way to get rid of mealybugs, spider mites, aphids, and other plant bugs. How to treat thrips. If thrips have been feeding on buds, you may notice that they don’t develop into flowers. Use essential oils. The last thing you want to do is treat indoor plants with a harsh chemical in such a confined space. https://www.justhomegardening.com/how-to-get-rid-of-bugs-in-houseplants-soil For serious infestations that are undeterred by neem oil, an insecticidal soap is a stronger treatment option to consider. The soap works on pests like thrips by breaking down the outer layer of their body. Thrips range in size from 0.02” to 0.55” (0.5 to 14 mm). is a stronger treatment option to consider. The University of Georgia mentioned symptoms that you could check to indicate thrips’ presence on your houseplants. Because they are quite small (about 1/16 to 3/8 inch [1 to 5 mm] long), they are difficult to see with the naked eye. Let’s look at some of the most effective ways to eliminate thrips from your plants. If you see dark green dots on leaves’ underside, isolate the plant immediately from your other houseplants. After hatching, the pupae drop into the soil where they develop into adults. For example, ladybugs, lacewings, and minute pirate bugs feed on thrips and their eggs and larvae. Another sign of a thrip infestation is galls on the leaves or stems. Fatty acid salts or insecticidal soaps can be a good choice against thrips. Please note insecticide should be applied in the evening, or when the plant is removed from the direct sun, as sunlight combined with the insecticide can burn a plant. There is some scientific research on the efficacy of neem oil in eradicating thrips. Usually, insects in the family Thripidae cause the most damage to plants. There are a couple methods to treat the leaves, stems and flowers on your houseplant. Organic Thrips Treatment Methods The first thing you should do as soon as you spot thrips on a houseplant is to quarantine the infested plant immediately. Most essential oils are organic and you can make your own thrip killer at home by mixing a gallon of water and 1-2 drops of oil. This can knock the thrips off the plant and can be repeated as often as the plant can handle it. Mix well and spray liberally on your plant foliage once a week to eliminate a thrip infestation. Thrip infestations can damage plants so much that leaves lose color, and plants eventually die. Use sticky traps. Use yellow sticky traps to help reduce the thrip population. Mix 1 or 2 tbsp. What are Thrips? They leap or fly away when disturbed. Alternatively, you can buy a commercial insecticidal soap to treat your houseplants. These sucking insects have fringed wings and will usually fly away or jump when disturbed. Thrips also eat various types of fruits, and their piercing jaws can scar or deform developing fruit. Mix 2 tsp. Mix the neem oil with water and apply it to the plant with a spray bottle, letting it rest for 5-10 minutes, and then wiping the leaves clean afterwards. Like most pests, thrips populations can be suppressed and eventually eradicated through a couple of physical measures: Inspect New Plants to Prevent Thrips in Your Home. Parasites, feeding on the juice of flowers, can hide in the substrate. Use ladybugs or lacewings. Thrips are attracted to this colour (and blue). Make sure that you begin treating the infestation right away. Regularly Check Plants for Thrips. Best of all, it’s non-toxic to birds, animals, and many beneficial insects. If you have a thrip infestation in the greenhouse or garden, turn the hose on the foliage to remove as many thrips as possible. 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