How to Identify Thrips

Female thrips lay their eggs by making openings on the plant's surface. When larvae hatch they immediately start to feed on the surrounding tissue.

As they grow, they molt and fall down to the stems and soil to pupate. At the right temperatures, development from egg to adult can take just 13 days, and each adult female can lay 2-10 eggs per day.

Thrips feed on the plant by piercing the cells and sucking out the insides. This causes the surrounding tissues to die, making grey patches that you can see with the naked eye. Then they poop out black dots that are also visible. They are very tiny (microscopic), and the signs are easy to miss so they are often confused with nutrient deficiencies.

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