🌱 Plants Thrips Can't Resist: My Top 5! 🌵🔍 | Thrips' Choice: Houseplant Edition!

[@tanya.quintieri]

Oh gosh, I am at it again with multiple comments, forgive me Memo, but you asked. So, in 2021 and 2022, I sprayed a lot of different systemics. Wasn't proud of myself. It was also around that time that I developed an autoimmune disease. I'm not saying it is related, but it's probably good to keep away from toxins. In early spring this year, I had a minor thrips and mealy bug outbreak, and I wanted to see if I could a) improve my natural homemade pesticide and b) be diligent enough to tackle these bummers. So, what I did was shower those few affected plants regularly. I have a daylight bathroom, so they stayed there. By regularly, I mean like every two days. And once or twice a week, I would spray them with the following recipe: 1 liter of warm water mixed with 100ml of 99.9% alcohol, 10ml virgin neem oil (I get mine in liter bottles from Naissance - it is organic and food quality grade), 20 drops of peppermint essential oil, 10 drops of tea tree essential oil, and two tablespoons of organic castile soap. All of these (apart from the ethanol) are from the shop I named. All this to say, I got rid of the thrips in one life cycle. The frequent showers were basically to wash off any newly emerging larvae. I use the recipe above to treat mealy bugs (whereas I do dab the visible bugs first with some ethanol and a cotton swab), spider mites, and thrips. Luckily - knock on wood - I haven't had to deal with any other nasties in the past 4-5 years. I spray it preventively and generously over my entire collection every 4-6 weeks. And no, it does not stink. You know I have a huge collection, but this regime has helped me to keep any outbreaks in check.

[@lindaedwards4632]

Hi Memo, so far no thrips 😀 Fingers crossed 🤞 Love the new series, spider mites next please 😀🇨🇦

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Hi Linda, I’m thrilled to hear you're enjoying the series and staying thrip-free! Spider mites are on the agenda! 🕷️🌱

[@carolstuff]

Thrips sounds like a headache, but your useful info will help me get prepared. Thanks so much for the pest series Memo! Spider mites next please.

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Thanks, Carol! Preparing for pests is half the battle won. Spider mites are up next, stay tuned! 🕷️🎥

[@nofields9904]

Excellent, captivating, and educational. I’ve been able to avoid thrips so far, six years and counting but I know if it happens I’m ready.

[@woowooone]

Thank you so much for this information!

[@Houseplantygoodness]

I’m so pleased you found the information useful! Thank you for the support. 🌟

[@SparkleInMoonlight]

Great video, Memo. I very much appreciate sharing your experience (esp. in fighting thrips). Thrips are my worst nightmare. I lost my first plants (monstera deliciosa and adansonii) to thrips. I had so far thrips (juvenile) on: monstera, philodendron, succulents, marantaceae, peperomia, alocasia, tradescantia (that was really tough to kill), and as a bonus: begonia cuttings I recently bought had there one adult thrips (that was the first time I saw the adult - I killed it faster that I could even think of killing it :-D ). My experience with treatments: I lost plants by using only neem oil fighting thrips - it´s too weak. Also Spinosad didn´t work at all (western thrips developed resistance to it years ago). What never fails for me (EU) is: systemic neonicotinoid flupyradifurone (Sanium System and similar products) - works within 1 hour of application on all stages, it´s simply incredibly effective. Ever 2nd treatment I used pyrethroids (cyhalothrin - Karate Zeon). Careo´s systemic neonicotinoid acetamipirid is ok, but there are more effective products. Systemic neonicotinoids work even if one waters the plant with it from the top - it spread through the roots to the entire plant and kills larvae in the soil. Pyrethroids are much worse for human health than systemic neonicotinoids (in my experiece and the research I read) - pyrethroids are even more highly toxic to humans and must be applied with a good quality face mask (if applied at all). Sanium Ultra was a product that was so poisonous that despite wearing a face mask, I felt sick within first few minutes of spraying - too dangerous to be used, I´ll never use it again. What scares me the most is that these products are freely used in gardens on fruits and vegetables and in agriculture - knowing how poisonous it is for everything around ..... I took me months to eradicate thrips and in the end, when the situation got really stable, I used neem oil while waiting for beneficial insects - ... cucumeris worked very well and I´ll buy it again. Given my chemical experience, I was seriously worried of my health and don´t want to use the chemicals again unless there is an instant emergency. Beneficial insects are for me the way to go now. I apologise for the long comment. I spent so many hours reading about the current research on what works and what doesn´t and with the treatment, that it´s a big topic for me 😀

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Thank you for sharing your extensive experience. It's a tough battle, but it seems you've found a regimen that works. Beneficial insects can be a great alternative to chemicals. I appreciate your detailed input-it's invaluable to the community. 🐞🌿

[@jackiewhitney5031]

Bless you for doing all this work. Glad your plants survived and you during this upheaval. You're a trooper!

[@saskiadeclercq6308]

Dealing with a thrips outbreak in my 250+ plant collection atm 😭 And ow yeah, I'm 7 months pregnant, we're having reconstructions done that should have been finished this summer... Only "good" thing with the bad; I have to move all my downstairs plants to upstairs (before they come change our windows downstairs) -> they all go through the bathroom for a nice spray of pesticide 😅 Those filthy little critters always invade when it's the most bad timing possible; last year I spotted them the day before we went on holiday 😭 luckely my collection wasn't as big as it is now, but I still had to treat 100+ plants the day before our holiday 🤦‍♀️ So for everyone dealing with thrips; I feel your pain! 😢 Greetings from Belgium

[@MariaVargas-dj7qe]

Very good video! Super helpful Now Pleaseeee, yes, do spider mites!!!!

[@jillianleblanc9370]

Beautiful and amazing plants lovely collection beautiful houseplants lovely collection beautiful

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Thank you, Jillian! I'm so glad you enjoy the collection as much as I do. 🌿💚

[@Gaara-zu3ev]

Very informative, thank you!

[@Houseplantygoodness]

You're welcome! I'm always happy to share what I've learned. 😊🌿

[@ThatGirlShelbyy]

Thrips are the bane of my existence 😭 I've had some serious damage to my almost 150-plant collection since the spring, and I cannot get rid of them (I refuse to use systemic, I have an autoimmune disease & a pet that I won't risk the health of).. I was using beneficials and noticed a big improvement, but since sept/oct , the humidity in my apartment has been far too low for beneficials to survive. I'm just squishing them as I see them, wiping down leaves with an alcohol and neem mixture, and keeping my fingers crossed 🤞🏻🥲🥲🥲

[@daveoverstreet5148]

I remember seeing a FB post where someone wanted to hear *only* stories from people who had never had insects in their collection. I suspect your series will prove to be more useful 🤣😆🤣

[@Houseplantygoodness]

That's hilarious, Dave! Indeed, this series might just be the reality check we need. No collection is immune, but knowledge is power! 😆🌱

[@Patrkek]

Thrips really take the fun out of this hobby sometimes. I've only been into houseplants for a couple of years but have lost many plants to thrips unfortunately: Spider plants (2 plants), Calathea's (3 plants), Peperomia's (8 plants), Chamaedorea elegans, Dypsis lutescens, Syngonium, Scindapsus, Hoya australis Lisa, Philodendron erubescens Green Emerald, Alocasia silver dragon, Musa dwarf cavendish. And of course: Monstera deliciosa (3 seedlings). I believe systemics are not allowed in The Netherlands (correct me if I'm wrong anyone). I usually spot thrips early on, I'm quite good at identifying them (and by the way I see them in EVERY garden centre), but I seem to be unable to get rid of them. After a while I just give up and get rid of the plant, as I fear the pest will spread to my other plants. I have not struggled with other pests yet.

[@kat1984]

This was very helpful. I've never had thrips but I do have an adansonii as well as 7 oncidiums. I live in a hot and dry climate, spidermites are inevitable outside. I try to keep my humidity up with a humidifier as well as a strong fan to make my bedroom less attractive to them. Spinosad has been my go-to for years

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Thanks for sharing your preventative measures against spider mites, Kat. It's all about creating an unfavorable environment for them. Keep up the good work! 💨🌵

[@stucker3188]

Another great video. Awesome to hear you talk about systemic insecticides. Here in NZ there are not many options for systemics but i have used the one that is available and i found it to be really effective but so gentle on the plants unlike horticultural oils that i have use they have killed some of my plants. Good to know about insects becoming immune because i had wondered about that. Having adhd makes it hard to be consistent with treatment. I would love to see a video about aphids and scale. Aphids are a real problem for me they just keep coming back.

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Appreciate it! It's great to hear about your success with systemic insecticides in NZ. I understand the struggle with ADHD, and consistent treatment can be tough. I’ll consider doing a video on aphids and scale-thanks for the suggestion! 🐞🌿

[@mollys1584]

I have had good luck with 3/4 water , 1/4 alcohol and a good squirt/pump of soap in a spray bottle . I had thrips eating the new growth on my 4 varieties of Jade plants and this took care of it. Spray every two weeks.

[@dianespring3228]

Thank you for this video Memo very informative most utubers don’t go into this much detail. I do currently use a systematic l have found that treatment about once a month has been very helpful it also kills ants! When I bought my plants in for the winter 1 plant had a lot of ants on it that I kept fighting out used the systemic and they were gone by the next day 😊

[@Houseplantygoodness]

You're very welcome, Diane! It's fantastic to hear that the systemic you're using is working so well for you, even against ants. 🐜🛑

[@sbaroke]

Interesting. I never had thrips in my collection of over 600 cacti and succulents in nearly a decade of caring for them (spidermites and mealies, yes!) - I first encountered the dreaded thrips when I started with leafy plants. They did not affect my extensive collection of crassula ovatas, even though these were in fairly close proximity to the infested plants. And yes, in my experience, systemics are reliable, if you are diligent with repeat treatments. Just one application won't do - it will just make the darn survivors and their offspring even more resistant.

[@tanya.quintieri]

About the black spotting, I see that in clusters on thin-leaved plants, such as some of my Syngonium. And yes, Adansonii. Interestingly, I'd go Monstera, Syngonium, Anthurium, Philodendron, Epipremnum, Hoya.

[@ConnieP92]

Thanks Memo…just in time cos I discovered thrips in my collection 😢 and thank you for the tip about changing clothes before going near my plants 🙏🏻

[@Houseplantygoodness]

I’m glad the timing was right, Connie. Changing clothes in the summer is a simple yet effective step. I hope the tips help you get rid of those thrips soon! 🙏🌱

[@ConnieP92]

@@Houseplantygoodness Thanks Memo...so spider mites next?

[@od.vandeveer]

Monstera yes, anthurium yes and my philodendron gloriosa. Orius laevigatus beneficial insects worked for me with an thrips infestation.

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Orius laevigatus can be a game-changer for thrips control, from what I heard too, I have been meaning to try them for a while. Glad to hear it worked for you, and thanks for sharing your experience with the community! 🐛🔚

[@smotritel1082]

thank you!🙏 In my country, we have a product line for plant treat with different types of symbiotic bacterias. Down syde is that it takes some time to get work.

[@Houseplantygoodness]

That sounds like a unique approach! Symbiotic bacteria can be a great natural alternative. Patience often pays off with these methods. 🌱💚

[@fosterfoster9913]

I agree with you. I use neem, pesticide, and systemic.

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Sounds like you have a solid routine with neem and systemics. Thanks for agreeing and sharing your methods! 🌱💪

[@fosterfoster9913]

@@Houseplantygoodness you’re welcome

[@suerivest3651]

Omg , they are so bad..had them for the first time , has been about 3 months now...just crazy. Wondered what was happening, leaves were dropping , but like you said on specific types., decimated a monstera. Loved the dishcidia watermelon and peperomia obstufolia , anything alocasia.Trying to figure out what they would keep attacking was hard. Started with spray first , but Canada is similar with what is banned/allowed, so couldn't get what seems to work in the US either , bummer. Alternated with a alcohol/castille soap spray to get it under control. Then waited a couple wees and put out beneficial sachets , a different type ( cucumeris) but seems to be working so far, fingers crossed. Noted what you recommended to try in the future as well, thanks. I've never used them before but like this to prevent, esp when you have a healthy collection and if its under control so to speak , some can also help with quite a few pests at the same time. Thanks for sharing, appreciate the extra knowledge.

[@Houseplantygoodness]

They can be a real challenge. Alternating treatments is a smart move, and beneficial sachets can be a great addition. Keep up the good fight, and thanks for sharing your experience! 🌱🛡️

[@imaginarydreamer]

Y'all are so lucky you can get your hands on systemics. Here in Canada everything is banned or impossible to find😓Thought I got rid of these little buggers weeks ago, but they keep popping back up. Fortunately there aren't too many of them, but also unfortunately beneficial mites would be a waste because they would quickly run out of food. Basically all I can do to maintain my sanity is clean my plants in the shower every time I water.

[@MariaVargas-dj7qe]

Yes! Do spider mites!!!!! Pleaseeeee

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Spider mites are definitely on my list, Maria! Stay tuned for that video. 🕸️👀

[@jackiewhitney5031]

Never had thrips but if I did I would probably toss my plant in the trash before my whole collection would get wiped out. I've heard via others it's a plant parent's nightmare for sure.

[@surgeinc1]

Thrips disfigured my Medellina and Crystallinum by tunneling through the new leaves. I had to resort to using a granular systemic on the soil. 2 treatments and they were gone.

[@sherryporsch9349]

In my part of the world we call them No see’ems lol they do bite me in the summer. Not sure the species but tiny yellow ones. 🫶🏼💚

[@Houseplantygoodness]

No see’ems, that's a great name for them! They can be a nuisance, can't they? Hopefully, my tips help keep them at bay. 🌿💚

[@sherryporsch9349]

@@HouseplantygoodnessI brought in a A. Forgetti I bought off of Etsy last year an I went through a gallon of systemic 😂 hopefully first a last thrip fun. 💚

[@Planty-Mandy]

Here in Canada we can get even less for pesticides. I don’t think there are any systemics at all. I’ve used Pyrethrin and I’ve heard Sulphur can do the trick as well. Any other ideas from Canadians, I’d love to hear.

[@jackiewhitney5031]

It's difficult to get the sulphur off the leaves though. It is such a headache!

[@Soulhieress]

Apparently if you water in neem it will work as a systemic. All systemics are banned in Canada and even finding the neem can be a challenge. It can't be sold as a pesticide so you need to look for it in places that sell it for your skin.

[@ThatGirlShelbyy]

@@SoulhieressI'm also Canadian, and I had to order it off Amazon Canada. It says it's for multiple things including skin as well

[@shnuggumz]

Memo, thanks for another informative video. I’m using Systemic at home and have a vast reduction in the thrips outbreak my 200+ tropical houseplants collection suffered. I’m guessing the larvae are impacted as they eat their way out of the leaves of plants treated with Systemic. I also tried AzaMax as a foliar treatment, with decent results for minor infestation. I wonder if you’ve ever tried one of those machines that suck the thrips in and they are loaded with sticky straps inside. We both have big collections, but I wonder if that might be a good complement to the other treatment methods for plants in quarantine. Let me know if you’ve tried one of these machines. I’d be interested in a video one of those in the future (again perhaps for a smaller amount of infected plants in quarantine). A-million thanks!💚

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Thanks for the kind words! I haven't tried one of those machines yet, but it sounds like an intriguing method. I’ll definitely look into it and maybe showcase it in a future video. 🤔🌱

[@justanotherfaceinthecrowd]

😂 I always strip off completely on my stairs before coming in from the plot too 😂 I’m glad I’m not completely mental .. or are we both 🤔

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Looks like we have a shared post-allotment ritual! We're definitely not mental; we're just dedicated plant parents. 😂🌿

[@Petra-ms3ku]

Heliamphora South American sun pitchers. I saw a thrip as I was going to bed. They took over overnight. Wiped my collection OUT.

[@julietasuarez9135]

21:08 have you ever tried 209 SNS systemic ?

[@Houseplantygoodness]

I haven't tried 209 SNS systemic, but I'm always looking to test new products. Thanks for the suggestion, Juliet! 🤓🌿 I will have a look and see if I can get it in the UK

[@gamingsensisensi7956]

dont know if this is just coincidence or not but i vape alot and it gets evry were and i dont get bugs (going to regret saying that) but in my bedroom were i dont vape i do get bugs

[@Houseplantygoodness]

That's an interesting observation about vaping and pests. It's always curious to see what factors might contribute to deterring bugs. Thanks for sharing! 💭🚫🐜

[@tomfurmby88]

good video thanks. I concentrate on orchids a lot and especially if you start getting into rarer species grown in old greenhouses with old fashioned growers not using more than natural remedies the amount of pests you get is ridiculous. You might be tempted to think that phalaenopsis do not harbor thrips much but you'd be wrong, they are extremely suspeptible and in fact a big vector for introducing them. Every single phalaenopsis I have bought in the uk over the past 5 years has had thrips, whether from tesco, ikea, sainsburies, wilko, b'n'Q, all of them had thrips. The thing with phals is they have very thick leaves, so thrips can never "explode" in numbers on phals. As a result you might be tempted to think they affect the denrobiums and oncidiums more as the damage is more visible. The big problem with this is it's a doube edged sword. If you were to interview the thrips they would say they hate phals cause only 5% of their babies ever survive. Right? Good right? Wrong. This is in fact really bad because as a result most people do not realize they have introduced thrips, for months and months and months. The thrips can never multiply fast enough to become visibly noticebale but because of this they stay hidden and unnoticed and spread to othe plants. After trying all the natural rememdies to no avail and getting drustrated how stronger pesticides were banned here in the uk I finally found the solution. If you do still spot thrips again that means they are just jumping around amongst your plants and they hide in the soil too. The eggs hatch weeks after treating to repeat a new outbreak. The only and I swear the only product that will work on thrips here in the UK is a product called killermite. Always use eye protection spraying it. Use it weekly for 3 weeks. I mean you say it hasn't cost you any plants. That is good at least. Here it cost me £100s worth of rare seedlings which are far more susceptible when small and immature. So I had to find something that worked, not just suppressed them for 3 months at a time. In my opinion if you have thrips they will reduce your success by at least 50%. The only way to kill them is using killermite. So to be a successful grower if you have had thrips in your collection imo is to have killermite in your cupboard. There's just no way around it unless you are prepared to have less healthy looking plants.

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Thanks for the insights, Tom. It's important to be vigilant with orchids and thrips. Killermite sounds like it's been effective for you; I appreciate the recommendation and will keep it in mind for viewers in the UK. 🇬🇧🌿

[@juliashearer7842]

That is useful Tom, what is the active ingredient if you don't mind or who makes it? I have never heard of this product. 🤞

[@kristiemowry3267]

I live in a hundred year old house and have lots of very small spiders that live among my plants and make webs. I try not to disturb them because they must be eating something and I hope it is house plant pests.

[@tanya.quintieri]

I don't remember if it was 2018 or 2019, but one of those summers was so thrip-heavy in the countryside here in the Czech Republic that they literally drove me nuts. I'd step outside, come back in, covered in those beasts. And I would only notice once they crawled into my eyes (!), my ears (!), or nose (!). On a good day, I'd shower three times. I hate adult thrips with a vengeance. The good thing is, they can't fly far, and they are bad at flying somewhere on purpose, if that makes sense. Which is why these weather fronts carry them around. Gosh, I hate them.

[@angelahegbom9053]

How common is it really that “you” get pests buying plants online or from any kind of shop? There are some plants I would LOVE to have but getting pests in my collection is low on my to do list.

[@jeffree9015]

Spinosad usually does the job on thrips, assuming they aren't resistant. That is organic and sytemic, expensive mind.

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Spinosad is a great recommendation, Jeffree. Organic and effective-though it's good to keep an eye out for resistance. Thanks for sharing! 🌱🛡️ I think this might be one of the ones I mentioned we cannot get here in the UK, but I have heard good things.

[@jeffree9015]

@Houseplantygoodness Monterey Garden Insect Spray and Bonide Deadbug both have spinosad and are available on UK amazon. Whether they are supposed to be available in the UK or not, I am not sure. I know I get BT spray from amazon that shouldn't be available in the UK.

[@Planty-Mandy]

So far I’ve had them on a syngonium and on a Hoya Lisa (definitely a softer leaf Hoya). Those tiny black dots are thrip poop. If you look at them under a microscope they literally look like little piles of poop. So gross.

[@Houseplantygoodness]

Thrip poop under a microscope is quite the sight, isn't it? 🤢 It's a shame about the limited pesticide options in Canada. I'll think about more accessible solutions and maybe address it in a future video. 🤔🌱

[@jackiewhitney5031]

I was quite surprised to hear syngoniums on this list though!

[@candyd.4398]

@@Houseplantygoodness It’d be awesome and really appreciated if you could provide pest control solutions for people in Canada. I recently started growing my collection and I’ve been learning that we don’t seem to have much in terms of pesticides and it’s worrying to think that all this will be easily wiped out the minute I get a pest, especially thrips. Kinda makes me wonder why I even started collecting plants if it’ll eventually get a pest that I won’t be able to take care of :(. Seems the only option in Canada is to throw the plant out no matter how long you’ve had it to try and prevent contamination :/.

[@joannanovara815]

They like my philos😢

[@andrewyates3794]

They seem to be very attracted to spider plants 😭