Thrips Pests

Thrips are tiny, but they punch far above their size — rasping leaves, scarring flowers and fruit, and spreading crop-killing viruses. Here's how to recognize thrips damage early and exactly how to get rid of thrips naturally, before a few become thousands.

Thrips (order Thysanoptera) are slender, 1–2 mm insects with rasping-sucking mouthparts. They tear open leaf cells, drink the sap, and leave behind the silvery scarring growers know all too well — and several species spread devastating tospoviruses like INSV and TSWV. With more than 4,500 species worldwide, accurate scouting beats guesswork every time.

How to identify thrips damage

Look for silvery or bronze stippling on leaves, tiny black fecal specks, and deformed, scarred buds and flowers. The thrips themselves are slender and quick, darting for cover when disturbed. Confirm them with blue or yellow sticky cards, or tap a flower over white paper and watch for crawling larvae.

Why thrips are so hard to control

Thrips split their life between the plant and the soil, which is exactly why sprays disappoint. Females insert eggs inside leaf tissue where nothing can reach them; mobile larvae feed in the canopy; then many species drop to the soil to pupate before emerging as winged adults that glide in on the wind. They also overwinter in greenhouse debris, breed faster once pollen appears, and shrug off many insecticides.

How to get rid of thrips naturally

The winning move is to release predators early — before populations climb — and to cover both the canopy and the soil so you catch every stage. Scout weekly with sticky cards, watch for feeding damage on new growth near flowers, and keep predators established with a little supplemental food so they're working before thrips arrive.

Beneficials that stop thrips

Build a complete, residue-free program from the proven biocontrols in this collection:

• AMBLYforce S and AMBLYforce C — predatory mites that devour thrips eggs and young larvae in the canopy (the keystone of any thrips program).
• ORIUSforce — aggressive minute pirate bugs that hunt thrips right inside the flower buds where mites can't reach.
• STRATIOforce — soil-dwelling predatory mites that destroy thrips pupae in the growing media.
• CHRYSOforce R green lacewings for extra knockdown, plus NUTRIforce supplemental food to establish mites early.

Ready to put it together? Shop the full Thrips Control collection.

Frequently asked questions

What is the fastest way to get rid of thrips?

Scout with sticky cards and release predatory mites and Orius bugs early, while numbers are low — catching thrips before they build is far faster than chasing an outbreak.

What kills thrips naturally?

Predatory mites (swirskii and cucumeris), minute pirate bugs, soil predators, and lacewings all kill thrips without chemicals or residue.

Do thrips live in the soil?

Yes — many thrips drop to the soil to pupate, which is why a soil predator like Stratiolaelaps is a key part of natural control.

Where do thrips come from?

They arrive on new cuttings and plants, drift in on the wind through vents, and survive in greenhouse debris between crops.

Will thrips go away on their own?

Rarely — in warm, protected growing they breed continuously (faster once pollen appears), so active monitoring and beneficial releases are needed.