Of the three pests I've dealt with (mites, thrips, and fungus gnats) thrips were the easiest. I used pyrethrum (bug buster-o). I sprayed the plants and watered it into the soil, and it took care of them.
Dude, i had the same problem. they ate the shit out of my plant but the key is lady bugs! Trust me. I threw a full container of them on my plant and the problem is gone completely. It will also kill any spider mites if you happen to have them but dont realize. You can get they at any hardware store with a garden section like home depot or osh depending on where you live.
I had a couple of flying bugs in my plants n i killed some with my finger squashed it.. Dont know what they were either.. They had wings and were black small bugs