Thrips are small, slender insects measuring 1 to 2 mm long, belonging to the order Thysanoptera. Due to the variation in damage, it is often difficult to recognize thrips quickly. Moreover, there are many different types of thrips that can affect a wide range of plants. You can identify thrips by:

• Size: Thrips larvae are about 1 mm long, while adult thrips are between 1 and 2 mm long.
• Shape: Thrips are small, slender insects with an elongated shape. They have long, narrow wings fringed with fine hairs. The larvae at this stage do not have legs.
• Color: Thrips larvae are orange, yellow, or green. Adult thrips are usually brown or black.
• Movement: Larvae move slowly across the leaf, while adult thrips move quickly and actively between plants, allowing thrips to spread rapidly.

Early detection of thrips is essential to limit damage. Hang sticky traps in the greenhouse to detect thrips. This allows you to estimate population size and take timely action.

The life cycle of thrips consists of five stages: egg, larva, prepupa, pupa, and adult thrips. Each stage has its characteristics:

• Egg stage: Females lay these eggs in leaves, petals, and soft stems. The duration of this stage varies depending on the species and temperature.
• Larval stage: After a few days, the larvae hatch from the eggs. They feed on plant tissue on the underside of the leaf. The larvae are wingless, smaller than adult thrips, and very active.
• Prepupa and Pupa stage: Thrips pupate on the plant or in the soil, depending on the species. The prepupa and pupa are characterized by the development of wings. 
• Adult thrips: Adult thrips emerge and live for a few days, laying up to 300 eggs. They have fully developed wings. In warm greenhouses, several generations can occur each year.

Thrips cause significant economic damage in vegetable and ornamental cultivation. They damage both flowers and leaves, reducing the quality and yield of the crop.

Thrips affect both flowers and leaves by puncturing the plant’s cells, causing them to collapse. The result is a haze of silvery-gray spots with black spots inside. Thrips lay eggs in the leaf, sepals, or petals. Due to their high mobility, thrips quickly spread throughout the crop. The puncturing of the flowers leads to browning and deformation, rendering the flowers unsellable. Symptoms appear as:

• Leaves: Silvery-gray spots and black spots due to damaged cells.
• Roots: Thrips do not cause direct root damage, but overall plant health is affected.
• Color: Silvery-gray spots and browning of flowers.

Thrips spread viruses from plant to plant, causing significant damage to crops. One of the most well-known viruses transmitted by thrips is the Tomato spottedwilt virus (TSWV).

The number of species of thrips causing damage has been increasing in recent years. The most common and damaging forms of thrips in greenhouse crops are the California thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) and the tobacco thrips (Thrips tabaci), but the rose thrips (Thrips fuscipennis) and Echinothrips americanus also sometimes occur in the greenhouse. A relatively new species of thrips is the Japanese flower thrips (Thrips setosus), found mainly in hydrangea and lily. Pepper thrips (Thrips parvispinus) is another type that has been showing up in more and more crops in recent years.

(Rose) Thrips fuscipennis​​​​

Echinothrips americanus​​​​

​​​​Parthenothrips dracaenae​​​​

​​​​Chaetanaphothrips orchidii​​​​

Thrips can be controlled using either a chemical or biological approach. Our specialists provide the right solution tailored to your cultivation and situation.

Biological control of thrips is increasingly being used through the use of natural enemies. In many crops, growers hang growing bags with Neoseiulus cucumeris. You can also choose to release this predatory mite along with Transeius montdorensis with UniMite bio-distribution systems. In chrysanthemum and pepper cultivation is the combination of montdorensis and Power Food Plus effective. Biological control is particularly successful against Western flower thrips. The natural enemies used against thrips include:

• Predatory mites:
  • Neoseiulus cucumeris: Has a short life cycle and reproduces quickly. Available in products like  AMBLYcontrol and Amblyline.
  • Transeius montdorensis: Has a short life cycle and reproduces quickly. Available in products like MONcontrol  and  Montyline .  
  • Amblyseius swirskii: Suitable for many crops from March to September. Available in products like   SWIRScontrol .  
  • Macrocheles robustulus: Effective against thrips pupae. Available in ROBUScontrol.
• Predatory bugs: Suitable for both preventative and curative use. Available in ORIControl.

Chemical thrips control is often difficult. This is mainly because the various species of thrips are resistant to an increasing number of crop protection agents, but also because the approval of many chemical crop protection agents has been withdrawn. Contact our specialist to determine which agents you can use in your crop.

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Healthy plants are less susceptible to thrips. Keep plants healthy through regular irrigation and fertilization. Prevent thrips damage in crops with a combination of strategies:

• Optimal hygiene: Keep the greenhouse clean by regularly cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and equipment. This helps keep thrips out.
• Monitoring: Regularly check for thrips. Use sticky traps and plates to detect thrips early. Perform visual inspections to identify early signs, such as deformed leaves or silvery spots.
• Biological control: Use biological control agents such as predatory mites or bugs. These natural enemies help keep the thrips population under control.

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