1
point
How do I get rid of this small bug on my plants?

General    None Given

Hi guys - wonder if you can help us figure out what this particular bug on our plants are. We took some macro shots at 20 times magnification. They are very tiny, literally a hair's width.
We've found them on out all of our plants: kale, mustard, amaranth, nasturtium, a few scallions, a little bit on borage.
But the area on the plants they are most interested is the small tender shoots that are growing from the center of each plant. Those baby leaves are severely chewed through and do not developing well.
We've trimmed and pinch off a bunch of leaves already. Please help identify and advise how to get rid of them!!!

Thanks a lot!


Posted by: Wei Wei (2 points) Wei Wei
Posted: December 23, 2014


Lindsay McMenemy commented,
thanks for the great images!!
over 9 years ago.

Wei Wei commented,
There's also centipedes in our the soil (We have indoor potted plant). Do they help at all with killing these thrips?
over 9 years ago.



Answers

1
point
The bugs in the images are insects called thrips. They feed on the plant by piercing the leaf with their mouthparts and sucking out the cell contents. Often, the damage is purely cosmetic and the plant doesn't suffer any ill effects from the presence of the insects. They can, however, transmit several different viruses to crop plants. If your plants are suffering purely cosmetic damage the I would continue as you have been doing by pruning out infested leaves. If they have reached damaging levels then chemical control may be warranted. You can protect your plants using row covers in future but unfortunately this is not a successful control strategy if the population is already established. I would try an insecticidal soap spray or neem oil first to see if you can make a dent in the numbers. These products are safer than chemical insecticides and won't wipe out populations of natural enemies which may end up exacerbating your problem. Good luck, let us know if you need any further help!


Posted by: Lindsay McMenemy (4 points) Lindsay McMenemy
Posted: December 23, 2014




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