Thrips eating my buds?

Shugo

Shugo

Member
Hi Guys,

I have a quick question in regards to thrips. I've been dealing with them for a couple months now with a fairly effective program of spinosad and dunks. My question is as to why people talk so much about the damage done in veg or potential damage to buds from spraying. But I haven't seen much mention of the severity of damage that can be done to buds in bloom? Am I the only one that has suffered bud loss from mid-late bloom reinfections? Or have I misidentified this wretch of a bug? Pretty sure they're thrips and not fungus gnats.
 
Jonus

Jonus

Well-Known Member
You need to use every tool in the arsenal to deal to thrips. Sticky traps, not just the standard yellow traps, try something sticky and sweet in the colour blue as well, spray under every leaf, and also the top of the soil where the eggs often fall.
 
sambo020482

sambo020482

Well-Known Member
also had problems with thrips, but just went and got the right predetor mite that eats them and its solved my thrip problem.
 
Shugo

Shugo

Member
Jonus said:
You need to use every tool in the arsenal to deal to thrips. Sticky traps, not just the standard yellow traps, try something sticky and sweet in the colour blue as well, spray under every leaf, and also the top of the soil where the eggs often fall.
Click to expand...
I'm on top of that! Several years of dealing with mites have left me a pest protocol veteran. Lol...the room looks like a kindergarten art class with blue, yellow and pink paper all over the place. Spinosading alot with mosquito dunks in the reservoir.

What I'm wondering though, is if other people have experienced widespread bud damage from thrips? Before I identified the problem, I lost 40% of my harvest to them. I haven't read anywhere yet about people having actual bud destruction problems. They appear to attack the lower buds with fewer Trichs. Seeking shelter more often in tight hard to treat Indica strains it appears. Looks like they start at the base of the bud slowly sucking the life out of it til it stops producing resin. Then they work their way up the now defenseless bud til its dead and then susceptible to mold since its dying on the vine. I realize they can be a problem in veg, but for mid-late bloom reinfestations...has anyone else had them or heard about them eating buds on a large scale?
 
Jonus

Jonus

Well-Known Member
I've only ever had it once, and never again so cannot tell you about bud damage. I guess the other question is have you sorted out where the source of the thrip is coming from?
 
U

undertow911

Member
just last night i noticed 2 little bugs on one of my mother plants while taking clones.

i squashed them and spent an hour searching the whole plant for more signs of the little bastards and couldn't find a trace. today i looked for about 20 minutes and found 4 all on 1 fan leaf. smashed the bugs (one with a piece of clear tape, so i could put it under my 100x microscope and verify it to be a thrip). searched the rest of the plant and no traces.

since then i've spent a few hours reading up on predators for these things. appears that Neoseiulus cucumeris, and Hypoaspis miles (http://greenmethods.com/shop/buy-bugs/4/?page_id=187) also i found Amblyseius cucumeris (http://buzzorganics.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=41) may be good options for dealing with what looks like the beginning of a battle.

any opinions on these predator bugs?

also if i just have a few right now (and trust me i'm VERY carefully inspecting my plants, i know i'm must be missing some of the bugs, but there deffinetly not many at the moment), should i risk waiting for predators... or should i go out and get a bomb right now?

i ask because i'm very much against the use of pesticides. but me and my patients need our medicine and local sources have been short lately. i don't know how fast these few bugs could turn into an infestation that will put our crop at risk.
 
G

Greenthumb71

New Member
Shugo said:
I'm on top of that! Several years of dealing with mites have left me a pest protocol veteran. Lol...the room looks like a kindergarten art class with blue, yellow and pink paper all over the place. Spinosading alot with mosquito dunks in the reservoir.

What I'm wondering though, is if other people have experienced widespread bud damage from thrips? Before I identified the problem, I lost 40% of my harvest to them. I haven't read anywhere yet about people having actual bud destruction problems. They appear to attack the lower buds with fewer Trichs. Seeking shelter more often in tight hard to treat Indica strains it appears. Looks like they start at the base of the bud slowly sucking the life out of it til it stops producing resin. Then they work their way up the now defenseless bud til its dead and then susceptible to mold since its dying on the vine. I realize they can be a problem in veg, but for mid-late bloom reinfestations...has anyone else had them or heard about them eating buds on a large scale?
Click to expand...
Did you trash the trees?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top