Content
- What are thrips?
- How do I detect an infestation with thrips?
- When do thrips occur?
- How can I fight thrips?
- The essentials in brief:
- Tips
With the naked eye the fringed wings are hardly recognizable
What are thrips?
Thrips are small, only a few millimeters large insects that are known by different names. The vernacular calls them, for example, thunderstorms or fringed wings, because of their adhesive bubbles on the feet and bladder feet. They multiply very fast.
Since thrips can fly, they spread quite quickly and attack soon other plants. There are many different types of thrips, but not all thrips cause lasting damage to the plants.
How do I detect an infestation with thrips?
Occasionally, thrips occur on orchids that have hard leaves, for example, on the cattleya. Here they pierce the cell surface of the leaves and suck out individual cells. The typical damage pattern are silvery bright spots on the leaves, preferably on the underside of the leaves.
Later, dark spots may appear. Mostly this is a "cosmetic" problem, only in case of heavy infestation, the leaves are permanently damaged. To prevent this, you should do everything possible to get rid of the thrips quickly.
When do thrips occur?
Thrips like it warm and dry. Therefore, they occur especially in winter with dry heating air. But even in the spring, when it gets warm again, you should examine your orchids for these pests. If the thrips remain undetected, consequential damage can occur. Fungi or bacteria nest and spread.
How can I fight thrips?
First make sure that no other plants are affected by the thrips and quarantine the infected plant. With a low infestation you resort to a home remedy. A tea made of garlic or water with Spüli are well suited to wash off the affected leaves.
In case of a strong infestation with thrips the washing off of the leaves may not be enough. Here you should shower off the whole plant with a powerful jet of water. The pests should not get to the earth, otherwise they sit back quickly on the plant. A plastic bag that you pull over the flower pot and fasten well, can prevent this.
Thrips have some predators that you can use to fight. This method is considered particularly natural and gentle for infested plants. Various beneficials such as lacewings or predatory mites are available from specialist retailers.
The essentials in brief:
Tips
Before you reach for the chemical mace, try to combat the thrips with home remedies such as garlic or a detergent solution. This gets the plant better and is good for the environment.