I've finally met my nemesis and it's Thrips

[KushGod]

Does anyone know what pesticide will wipe thrips out for good? I've tried natural oil and dish soap based sprays to no avail, I've used a 2% shop bought fatty acid spray and a few days later they were back. It's not a severe infestation and they aren't causing a great amount of damage but they are a cause for concern so I'm wondering what all you other growers use for thrips, not just to control the population I'm talking about wiping these little bastards of the face of the earth. Short of taking a flamethrower to my plants I'm now considering use of chemical pesticides as I'm 10 days into 12/12 and rapidly approaching my last chances to spray down the plants. The spray I have to hand is Bayer provado ultimate bug killer and it's suitable for use on edible crops and keeps working for around a fortnight after spraying but will this be enough to eradicate any thrips hanging out on my plants? If not can anyone recommend a nuclear scale bug killer that will wipe them out properly? Thanks in advance! KG

 

[Curly Beaver]

Are you repeating the application 3 days later to kill the new hatch?

 

[KushGod]

Are you repeating the application 3 days later to kill the new hatch?

No I left 5 days in between the 2% fatty acid spray and the oil/dish soap spray. Should I repeat the cycle in another 36/48 hours as I last sprayed yesterday. I also sprayed a very dilute dose as I was worried about any damage but I'm guessing I've let them off too easy. I really don't wanna use chemicals unless I have no choice.

 

[Curly Beaver]

No I left 5 days in between the 2% fatty acid spray and the oil/dish soap spray. Should I repeat the cycle in another 36/48 hours as I last sprayed yesterday. I also sprayed a very dilute dose as I was worried about any damage but I'm guessing I've let them off too easy. I really don't wanna use chemicals unless I have no choice.

Here is how I understand it, and I have tried it with Neem oil, and was successful.

The Aphids lay eggs that can take up to 3 days to hatch. If you spray it today, that's dandy, but you still have eggs on the plant that the neem did not (and will not) destroy. That is why it is recommended to repeat the application i in 3 days, whether you see aphids or not. I also sprinkled diatomaceous earth on the soil and that could have helped too, but I was frustrated and pulled out all the stops.

 

[newbiepower]

Think ive got the same problem are u seeing small silver dots randomly on leaves?

 

[Curly Beaver]

One more thing, and you probably are already aware of it, but just in case...

Make sure to spray the underside of all leaves and the stems. I think the lil @%@*! live down there as I only saw the tiny white/silver specks on the tops, but when I turned a leaf over and got out the magnifier they were down there having a good old time.

 

[dj1714]

The Aphids lay eggs that can take up to 3 days to hatch.

Hi Curly. I thought he was talking about thrips. In which case I have had several infestations, that I have used Monterey garden insect spray that contains spinosad. If you choose to use this make sure you only mix as much as you need for the intial spray as it's only good to spray for 24 hours. And like you said reapply on the following 3rd day. This along with the yellow sticky strips works pretty good for me, although it will not completely get rid of all of them for me, but that could just be because of me.

 

[Curly Beaver]

Hi Curly. I thought he was talking about thrips. In which case I have had several infestations, that I have used Monterey garden insect spray that contains spinosad. If you choose to use this make sure you only mix as much as you need for the intial spray as it's only good to spray for 24 hours. And like you said reapply on the following 3rd day. This along with the yellow sticky strips works pretty good for me, although it will not completely get rid of all of them for me, but that could just be because of me.

No, they are a PITA for sure and I doubt that I completely eradicated them either, but at least I was able to get through to harvest. I have had them on every outdoor grow I've done so that's a good reason to "NEVER" bring outdoor plants inside.

 

[dj1714]

Outside? Man I bet that it is hard to get rid of them outside. I'm growing inside and Your right they are a pita even though I have managed to get threw 3 grows with them so far.

 

[Curly Beaver]

Outside? Man I bet that it is hard to get rid of them outside. I'm growing inside and Your right they are a pita even though I have managed to get threw 3 grows with them so far.

You could take everything out of your grow room and then wipe the entire room down and everything that goes back in it with alcohol/water, then set off a bug balm. After everything has been sanitized only bring in fresh soil (dirt grower) and inside plants from seed or your own clones from inside plants. I know that sounds paranoid but I don't have bugs inside

 

[dj1714]

Yeah after the first grow we took everything down and wipe it down with bleach water and sprayed. Little bastards came back somehow.
Btw I'm doing hydro 3x3 flood table.

 

[Furcifer]

Nuke Em

Cannot go wrong with this!
Use by directions exactly....MORE IS NOT BETTER!!!

 

[Philsthetent]

Ladybugs will help as well !!
Cheap in Amazon lol

 

[KushGod]

Here is how I understand it, and I have tried it with Neem oil, and was successful.

The Aphids lay eggs that can take up to 3 days to hatch. If you spray it today, that's dandy, but you still have eggs on the plant that the neem did not (and will not) destroy. That is why it is recommended to repeat the application i in 3 days, whether you see aphids or not. I also sprinkled diatomaceous earth on the soil and that could have helped too, but I was frustrated and pulled out all the stops.

Great minds and all that. I have some more diatomaceous earth en route as we speak, I ran out a while back and didn't deem it urgent but I wish I had now. Fortunately I think I've caught it just in time as it's only some of the lower leaves/Branches that have been attacked and the plants are in good health overall but I will definitely follow your advice and repeat spraying with a different organic mix tomorrow (3rd day since last spray) and hopefully I can add my DE at the same time. I really appreciate your input as I was led to believe 5 day intervals were enough. Now makes sense why they aren't all dead. Thankyou .

 

[KushGod]

Think ive got the same problem are u seeing small silver dots randomly on leaves?

Yes. It started on the lowest fan leaves and branches and has worked it's way up to the middle of the plant. Lots of white speckles with the silvery leaf residue. I inspected the branch tops and the leaf grooves and stems where they hang out and there they were, little nymph thrips not quite at adult stage. I immediately sprayed with a 2% insecticidal fatty acid soap which helped but did not eradicate completely so I repeated 5 days later with a homemade dish soap and rapeseed oil spray which again reduced numbers but didn't completely eradicate as I left it too late and eggs must have hatched. So now I shall spray another product in 3 day intervals which should finish the ones on the plant off and the diatomaceous earth should kill the soil pupae/larvae.

 

[KushGod]

Nuke Em

Cannot go wrong with this!
Use by directions exactly....MORE IS NOT BETTER!!!

I struggle to access US products being in the U.K.? Is this available through Amazon?

 

[KushGod]

I just hope all this spraying isn't too brutal on my girls. I've never been a fan of spraying plants as nearly all sprays leave some sort of damage or imperfection on leaves. Granted we don't grow this plant for leaves but when you are an OCD Virgo with meticulous tendencies anything less than perfection is failure. I hope my girls aren't too stressed by all this spraying. I'm already seeing so discolouration and I've not even used a harsh chemical yet. Thrips are by far the hardest pest I've had to deal with, even spider mites seemed easier to kill off lol

 

[Furcifer]

KushGod, Believe me when I say this stuff works. I just went through this BUG infestation. Not prepared when early heat wave hit this spring.
I devastated my out door grow with NEEM, SPINOSIAD, ECT.
Leaf hoppers had me thinking it was PH imbalance. (Treated a nonexistent issue)
I was doing a mild weekly preventive with Neem.
Untill I saw resin droppings on lower leaves....shit, bugs.....should have known. I'm embarrassed to even admit this. As long as I've been growing.
Bugs got inside, I used Nuke em. No bug seams to like my plants now. Outside plants look like shit. No bugs! Plants will survive.
There is some great reputable research on them.
UK, IDK I did read they were looking or working with a distributor.
Their z7 is on Amazon. I don't see why it would not be.