African Violets - THRIPS - Part 2 - Treatment, Prevention, Lessons Learned

This is Part 2 of my ‘Thrips on African Violets’ video. Today, we’ll talk about thrips management methods, then I’ll show you how I treated thrips infestation on my plants and talk about prevention and lessons learned.
African Violets - THRIPS - Part 1 - Life Cycle, Causes, Symptoms, Damage: • African Violets - THRI...
Potting Mix video: • African Violet Potting...
HELPFUL READING
Greenhouse Thrips. University of Florida: entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/...
Greenhouse Thrips. University of Minnesota: cues.cfans.umn.edu/old/inter/i...
Greenhouse Thrips [fact sheet]. University of New Hampshire: extension.unh.edu/resource/gr...
Greenhouse Thrips. Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program. Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California: ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/cit...
How to Manage Pests. Pests in Gardens and Landscapes: Thrips. Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program. Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California: ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/p...
Managing Western Flower Thrips on Greenhouse Crops. Integrated Pest Management Program. Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture. UConn Extension: 2019westernflowerthripsrevisedfactsheet4.pdf (available online)
Thripobius semiluteus. University of California: calag.ucanr.edu/Archive/?arti...
Thrips. Extension Entomology. Texas A&M University: extensionentomology.tamu.edu/...
Image Credit
Cover: Any of an order (Thysanoptera) of small to minute sucking insects many of which feed often destructively on plant juices. 16 November 2019. Archives of Pearson Scott Foresman, donated to the Wikimedia Foundation. Public domain
Thrips nymph. Thrips-Nymphe (Ordnung Thysanoptera), Unterordnung Terebrantia, auf einer Paprikapflanze. The original uploader was M.J. at German Wikipedia. (Original text: selbst fotografiert), CC BY-SA 2.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons.
External morphology of Megaphragma mymaripenne, SEM. (B) Lateral view. 3 May 2017. Alexey A. Polilov, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

[@nenavienneau5872]

Hi i have mealy bugs on my violets can you make a video to explain howto get rid of them thanks you

[@nanci357]

Great knowledge, thanks very much💕

[@karenspencer763]

Thank you for you research!!!! I appreciate the science and the clear explanations. I am following your guidelines and applying them to my newly discovered mealybug infestation. I was slow to recognize the problem because it affected my young starter plants and therefore I made the incorrect assumption that that problem was cultural. Nope! In the future, newly acquired leaves will be treated to a ten percent bleach bath before putting down. The source of my mealy bug problem was leaves purchased from a reputable commercial vendor. Your thrips tutorial was well timed! Thank you!

[@grayturtleviolets]

Appreciate your feedback! This was a learning experience for me, too! Happy to share the new knowledge with fellow growers!

[@debsteele880]

Excellent videos thanks!

[@budgieyy]

Thank you for the completely thorough instructions!

[@marinatuberman3489]

Thanks for the knowledgeable information!! I learned about new insecticide- Triple Action plus by Fertilome!! Going to order it on Amazon!! Your collection looks much better!! How many plants have you discarded? Best luck

[@grayturtleviolets]

Thank you, appreciate the new insecticide recommendation! Just a few discarded plants, from the affected area, luckily I was able to detect thrips early enough, before they spread to the room where the main collection was growing. I treated the main collection too, to be on the safe side.

[@SS11660]

Thank you for putting so much time and effort into this lesson for us.. I have used a Bayer product called 3 in 1 on new plants as a prevention.. It covers all insects and some diseases. It is a systemic that seems to work but only lasts 2 weeks.. did you ever use it? This lady works hard so help her out by hitting the LIKE button each time.

[@grayturtleviolets]

Thank you for your feedback! Just ordered Bauer 3 in 1, am curious to try it.

[@SS11660]

@@grayturtleviolets ot covers mites also plus diseases . I alternate with Garden Safe .

[@quiltindee]

Wonderful learning tutorial. Thank you! Can you tell me where to buy the insv test kits?

[@grayturtleviolets]

Thank you! The INSV test kits are available here: orders.agdia.com/agdia-immunostrip-for-insv-isk-20501

[@karenspencer763]

Thanks!

[@grayturtleviolets]

Appreciate your support!🌸

[@user-xl2jh9dg4q]

Very helpful. Do you have problems with plants and leaf cuttings reacting to the chemicals you use for preventing thrips? Is one brand and/or chemical less damaging to the leaves? Some of the varieties seem more sensitive to the sprays and the leaves are easily marred. Do artificial lights add to the leaf damage?

[@grayturtleviolets]

Most of those that I used, shown in this video, left no residue on leaves. There was one, plant oil-based, that left some minor spotting. As long as they are not exposed to light during and after treatment, it should be safe to apply the insecticide sprays. I usually do it in the evening, when the lights are off, and let them dry over night.

[@rosamquinones5428]

Holly cow that many plants were treated !!!!

[@grayturtleviolets]

Yep, was a lot of work for sure! They are worth it!🌸

[@SS11660]

Its time to order new plants which has me researching insv testing. You nentioned the strips . Could you provide a link to a good video or article on using these. Do you send the strips to another lab or just use strips results? I also read that our pets can bring thrips in as well as our shoes and clothes. ? Thanks

[@grayturtleviolets]

The User Guide in the Documents section on the test kit page is available here: orders.agdia.com/agdia-immunostrip-for-insv-isk-20501. The kit is designed for at home use, it includes very easy to follow instructions with pictures. There is a Video demo on the bottom of the Documents section: www.agdia.com/customer-support/immunostrip-faq, along with Q&A. This is the best resource I have found to date. Thrips live in nature, there are thousands of thrips species, they can get inside our homes in many different ways. Please see my thrips video Part 1 for more info.

[@SS11660]

@grayturtleviolets thanks so much. I plan to order some today. Have you ever asked sellers if they test? And do preventative spraying etc. Wonder how many do?

[@grayturtleviolets]

@@SS11660 I haven’t asked. Some sellers mention adding systemic insecticide granules in potting mix as preventative, I haven’t seen INSV testing mentions in listings.

[@charocflores]

Hi, I have been following you for the last 3 years. Finally I got some bugs in my BABY violets still attached to their mother leaves.🥲So please tell me if I can mix PYRETHRIN powder in the soil. I am in Canada and the one granules you use, are banned here same as spinosad. I can not find if pyrethrin is safe for violets soil. I have close to 20 leaves with babies and they are all infested. I do not know what bug is it. The are so tiny skinny and run so fast even I think they jump. The leaves and babies seem fine but when I opened the leads to inspect if they needed water I caught one on the surface of the little cup's soil. I am devastated. I wonder if I should change the soil or just treat them. Soooo many babies!. Please help me. Congratulations on all your succeses. Your violets are wonderful. I do not miss any of your videos!

[@grayturtleviolets]

Based on the description, most likely the insects are springtails. They feed on decaying roots and fungi and rarely damage plants. I haven’t tried mixing pyrethrin in soil. I wouldn’t worry too much about them, they are harmless to violets and help clean up the soil. Happy growing!

[@charocflores]

@@grayturtleviolets Ohh, I will research then. Thanks so much. But I guess mixing pyrethrin wont harm mixed with diatomaceous. I will prepare soil. I will try on one pot . I have like 40 or so. 7 of the same kind. One will be the guinea pig. I will update you later! Thanks again. You are the one that inspire me to purchase these beautiful plants.