Thrips

Many gardeners and farmers do not know thrips; but it is one of the worst pests that could ever thrive in your lawn, garden, or farm. It is best to familiarize yourself with these creatures and learn the best way to get rid of them, so you can continue to adore the beauty of your plants and reap bountiful harvests. 

Western Flower Thrips (WFT)
This is the most common thrips pestering your garden or crops. It feeds on flowering plants as well as cucumber, potatoes, strawberries, capsicum, pome, tomatoes, and stone fruit. It is extremely hazardous to ornamental plants; therefore, it is important to easily identify it for quick solution. 

Description of Western Flowering Thrips

  1. It is generally small thin insects that measures 1 to 2 centimeters. 

  2. It has a yellow to pale brown color. 

  3. It is present all year round. 

Symptoms of Western Flowering Thrips

  1. deformed flower buds

  2. discoloration of foliage or silvering

3. appearance of halo spotted foliage with dark small scars combined with white

tissue

Prevention and Elimination of Western Flowering Thrips
To avoid the spread of these pests, you may follow these recommendations: 

  1. Be careful in the selection of new crops that will be introduced in your farm, lawn or garden. 

  2. If your lawn has been victimized by these pests, then it is best to begin with a clean crop by growing new seedlings in a different location. 

  3. Remove plants infected with TSWV and those that shows presence of thrips infestation. 

  4. Properly dispose thrips when seen on crops. Disinfect tools used in clearing these pests to guarantee it will not be transferred to other plants and crops. 

  5. When growing new crops or seedlings, create a greenhouse with fine mesh or netting properties to keep these strips from entering its premises. Cover all the doors of the greenhouse, including the use of yellow sticky tape in possible entry points to guarantee they will have no door or slightest window of entry. 

  6. Make a careful observation of your crops. Make it habit to walk regularly through your plants and crops, so you will easily identify set patterns of thrips in its leaves and other plant parts. 

7. Be keen with the advisory provided by the local government, so you will easily be alarmed of possible thrips infestation in your vicinity. 

Extreme Measures to Use in the Elimination of Thrips
The infestation of thrips in your crops may already be extreme that the following methods have to be used: 

Chemical Control
In as much as you may wish to apply chemical control to thrips, due to its high level resistance to horticultural insecticides; this method is seldom recommended by agriculturists. 

Biological Control
It would be wiser if you will use the natural approach in seeing the demise of these thrips. You may use predatory mites like Neoseiulus cucumeris and Tyhphlodromips montdorensis. These insects are very much effective in the prevention of thrips build up, but must be applied during the early section of the growing season or during first sign of thrips infestation in your farm or garden. You may buy these from commercial suppliers of bio control agents located in Australia. However, it is better if you will give them a call to check the availability of the insects you will be requesting. 

Organic Natural Solution to treat Thrips