Thrips
These tiny insects are part of the Thysanoptera family and have many, many species. They do damage crops, but they are also pollinators.
Physical description : they measure only between 1 and 2 mm. They can be of different colors ranging from light yellow to dark brown or even black, with slight strokes on the body. Their shape is elongated and they have four thin and long wings. If you look at a thrips under a microscope, you can see that these wings are actually fringed.
Behviour : depending on their species, for example flower thrips, onion thrips, wheat thrips, etc., thrips attack foliage, buds, bulbs, fruits, etc. of certain plants by digging galleries in them. This insect is mainly active at night. We see them especially in summer since they leave the fields and approach the houses to invade the gardens and the edges of the windows. They can then cause significant damage in pleasure gardens, orchards and vegetable gardens they invest and prevent the proper development of plants.
How to know if your garden has them : hard to see thrips during the day, but plants damaged by thrips are quite easy to spot as they have gray patches. Young plants, on the other hand, will deform during their growth, then necrosis. You may also find that the leaves are sticky when you touch them. They can also be covered with small black dots which are no more and no less than the droppings of these insects. In humans, if thrips can sting, it is only as a defense reflex, but unlike mosquitoes, they don’t suck your blood.
Where do they come from ?
For years, it was thought that their appearance was related to the charge of static electricity in the air during the summer, that is, at the time of thunderstorms, this is how they inherited their nickname of storm beast. However, it would seem ultimately that their appearance is linked to the harvests, but also to the episodes of high heat. Indeed, when the harvest begins, the thrips are driven from their homes. They therefore go and find accommodation in other quieter places, that is, very often, in the gardens. Their migration can be impressive since they are real swarms that move in silence. It is possible to see up to 2 billion insects in 1 square kilometer. Their population can quickly grow to staggering numbers, as there are a majority of females in thrips and they do not need males to reproduce.
How to get rid of it?
Although it is not easy to spot them, it is nevertheless necessary to get rid of them quickly as soon as you detect their presence.
Abundant watering
To fight against these small undesirable ones, a first solution consists in frequently watering your plants to dislodge them. Indeed, thrips hate water. Their preferred weather condition is hot and dry weather. Moreover, if, by chance, they were to settle on you, you can take a good bath or a shower to get rid of them effectively. To prevent them from landing on you when you have to go in the garden, it is advisable to put a few drops oflemongrass essential oil on the body. At the same time, you will protect yourself from mosquitoes.
Focus on biodiversity
As with many problems, it is possible to control thrips with the help of nature. For this, you can invite natural predators of thrips such as ladybugs, green lacewing, Orius bugs and mites. You can therefore insert them in your garden. A good idea may be to create insect hotels in your garden to attract them.
Diatomaceous earth
Diatomaceous earth is a natural product and very effective in getting rid of a large number of pests including storm animals. Very easy to use, just sprinkle it wherever the thrips have settled. Repeat the operation regularly.
Make your natural insecticide
Instead of paying for a chemical insecticide that is bad for your environment and, on top of that, is expensive, you can make your own natural insecticide. To do this :
- Put water to boil.
- Add black soap and garlic to it.
- Once the mixture has cooled, apply it to the infected areas once or twice a week to keep these insects away for as long as needed.
Crop rotation
To fight against diseases and pests, and promote plant growth, you can bet on crop rotation. Thus, you will break the thrips’ reproductive cycle and limit their proliferation. To do this, it suffices to alternate crops on the same plot. This amounts to saying that it is preferable not to install the same family of plants on the same plot year after year. This not only allows the earth to regenerate, but also reduces the spread of parasites. To implement this, you must have a multi-year plan to alternate between 4 plant groups: seed vegetables, fruit vegetables, leafy vegetables and root vegetables.
The sticky traps
Another solution to getting rid of adult thrips are sticky traps. They are presented in the form of blue color plates. You must place them near the crops. The thrips will be attracted by the color and come to rest on it, without being able to leave. However, this solution has no effect on the larvae.