I have never heard of these tiny garden insects, but they seem to cause a lot of destruction in the vegetable garden. Thrips are little insects, less than 1/25 inch long. It is difficult to see them with the naked eye. If you do happen to spot them from afar, they look like a tiny spec of string lodged atop of a leaf or stem. They are either straw-colored or black in color.
Today, I refer to master gardener, Caren White. In the article, “How to Rid Your Garden of Thrips,” this gardener shares information that helps you get rid of thrips by using beneficial insects like lady bugs and other bugs who work to eradicate thrips in your garden. Master gardener, White also shares information about insecticides and other useful tips to help you get rid of the pesky thrips lurking in your vegetable garden.
Get Rid of Thrips Before Thrips Get Rid of Your Vegetables
Thrips live comfortably in your garden soil during the winter. Then, in the spring they produce their eggs and multiply. Thus, begins the destructive cycle of thrips in your garden. Be ready to eradicate thrips before thrips eradicate your vegetables.
What to Look For on Your Plant
When you see pale, splotchy, silvery, twisted, discolored, or scarred leaves, it’s time to investigate and look for thrips being the culprit.
Thrips can be found destroying just about any vegetable plant, but are usually found on onions, beans, carrots, and squash.
Remember, thrips live in the soil during the winter and then in the spring, they insert eggs into the tissue of flowers, leaves, or stems of the plant. Thrips are very productive. A female can produce up to 80 eggs which hatch within 16 days or less when the weather is warm. Gardeners want to take care of thrips as soon as possible because thrips can produce up to 15 cycles of thrip generations per year.
Be sure to read Caren White’s article and get rid of thrips now.