Insect
Thrips
Tiny slender insects 1 - 2 mm long, straw-yellow to dark brown, that rasp leaf surfaces and feed on the cell contents, leaving a distinctive silvery sheen.
Symptoms to Look For
- Silver-grey streaks or papery patches on upper leaf surfaces
- Tiny black specks of frass on leaves
- Flowers and fruit with pale streaks, scarring, or distorted growth
- Stunted shoot tips with cupped or crinkled new leaves
Affected Plants
OnionLeekAlliumPepperTomatoStrawberryRoseBeanPeaCucumberCourgette
Organic Solutions
Blue sticky traps
Hang blue sticky traps at crop height to monitor and reduce adult thrips populations.
Insecticidal soap spray
Spray a dilute insecticidal soap solution directly onto affected foliage, paying attention to undersides and leaf axils, every 5 - 7 days.
Predatory mites
Introduce Amblyseius cucumeris predatory mites onto plants to feed on young thrips larvae in protected growing environments.
Prevention
- Remove and destroy heavily infested leaves immediately to reduce population spread
- Keep plants well watered during dry spells as drought stress worsens thrips damage
- Avoid overhead watering once plants are established - wet foliage encourages fungal disease but does not deter thrips
Garden, by Willowbottom recommends only organic, wildlife-friendly solutions. No synthetic pesticides, no harmful chemicals - ever.