Pesky Thrips: A nightmare for all plant lovers.

From the top, it didn’t look like much. But when I turned the leaves over I couldn't believe what I saw. Dozens of tiny black spots had gathered under the brown spots on the leaves. I panicked. I thought they were all bugs! I tried to poke at them, but they didn’t seem to move. A quick search on the worldwide web and I thought I knew what I was dealing with: the tiny poops of thrips.

Thrips are tiny, slender insects with wings. They can cause damage to plants by piercing the plant tissue and sucking out the sap. They can lead to distorted growth, discoloration, and even death of the affected plant parts. They are also known to be hard to get rid of, as they can survive lots of different treatments. 

This was bad news. I quickly brought my plant to the living room and explained the situation to my family. The first thing I had to do was check if the thrips had infected any other plants in the house. I had to check ALL of my plants for tiny, black insects or brown marks. Unfortunately, almost all of my plants showed signs of thrips.

I began to fear I would lose my beautiful plants. But I did not give up! I was going to defeat these pesky thrips no matter what.

After some research, I decided I had three options.

1. Make my own deterrent spray with water, spirit and soft soap,

2. Buy a stronger insect deterrent spray from the store,

3. Buy bugs that can kill the thrips.

I decided to go with the second option. This was not the beginning of a thrips epidemic, I was already in the middle of it. I ran to the store, picked up a spray and began to treat all of my plants from top to bottom. This was a long process, but I knew it was the best thing to do.

Night passed and when I checked on my plants the next morning, I could see no living thrips anymore. But I also knew thrips are very resilient and can come back, no matter how much you spray and pray. So, I kept an eye open for anything suspicious and kept all my plants in the same place, separating only by the severity of thrip damage. I checked them all, top to bottom, every couple of hours.

Now two days have passed, and I can say things are looking good. No living thrips and no new brown marks have been spotted. What a relief. As I will say and many have said before me, you do not want to come across thrips on your plants. Ever.

So here are some tips for prevention of thrips:

Inspect new plants: Before introducing new plants to your home or garden, carefully inspect them for any signs of thrips or other pests. Quarantine new plants for a short period before placing them among your existing plants.

Maintain healthy plants: Strong and healthy plants are less susceptible to thrips infestations. Provide proper nutrition, water, and sunlight to promote plant vigor.

Prune infested plant parts: Regularly inspect your plants for any signs of thrips damage, such as discolored or distorted leaves. Prune and dispose of infested plant parts to prevent the spread of thrips.

Monitor with sticky traps: Place yellow or blue sticky traps near your plants. Thrips are attracted to these colors and will get stuck on the traps, helping you monitor their presence.

Consider insecticidal soaps: Insecticidal soaps can be effective against thrips when applied directly to the pests. Make sure to follow the product instructions and avoid harming beneficial insects.

Remember that a combination of these preventive measures is often more effective than relying on a single approach. Regular monitoring and prompt action are key to managing and preventing thrips infestations in your home.

I am going to keep checking my plants every day, and even repot some of them, just to be sure. All I can do now is hope for the best!