Thrips are minute insect that are slender with fringed wings and their mouthparts is asymmetrical unique. There are different thrips that feed on plants the most by sucking and damaging up the contents,but some are predators and they are like 6,000 species that have been described. They fly only weakly and their feathery wings are not suitable for conventional flight. But thrips exploit an unusual mechanism, they clap and fling just to create lift using an unsteady circulation pattern with transient vortices near the wings.
The scientific name of thrips is called "Thysanoptera" and it is derived from the Greek words for fringe (thysano) and wing (ptera). They vary in size although there are some that are measured between 0.5 to 5mm in length. They may not have wings and they are fringed. Thrips feeds on vegetation and sometimes they enter a structure when house owner brings in infested plants simply by mistake. This pests looks out for water and also travel indoors through damp laundry. Thrips are tiny and cannot be easily seen until after they have cause damage to the plants they feed upon and they deposited their fecal matter on the leaves before they can be noticed.
DO THRIPS BITE HUMAN?
Yes,they bite humans when searching for moisture on the skin and it causes irritation to the toes and feet when they walk barefooted on grass. Their bites doesn't have long term effects but it causes irritation. When they feed on plants,they reduced the growth of the plants. Thrips life cycle consists of five stages and they are;
- Egg
- Larval
- Prepupal
- Pupal
- Adult
The females adult can live up to 30 days and they lay 2-10 eggs per day. At 20°C,approximately, the egg can develop into adult for 19 days. Sometimes thrips swarm,fly and can fall on your skin and bite and this is very painful,they also create lesions that they can get inside,this is a condition called "Thysanoptera dermatitis "
Thrips mostly target the young plants also the older established vegetation can be damaged seriously. The leaves of the vegetation will then turn brown and curl and it will cause them the inability to provide shelter and perform life sustaining photosynthesis. The biting and sucking of thrips will bring in transmission of plants disease also with many types of fungus and virus. They have a short antennae,a narrow head with a cone-shaped mouth,long and cylindrical body.
After thrips has fed on plants,they leave a sign that is clearly seen such as deformities and making the skin to be black. They also lay their eggs on fruits and crops which which bring in a small color changing surrounded by white haloes. Thrips are considered a problem in agricultural communities because their feeding habits destroy a number of commercial crops. They have a metamorphosis,unlike most other insects. They move from eggs and develop through two wingless stages. Their non feeding stage is called the prepupal before they develop into pupae. Thrips become mature adult within 20 days.
TYPES OF THRIPS
Common plant feeding thrips. They are yellow, orange or amber in color,they grow in population during spring
Red-banded thrips. They were first recorded in Guadalupe, West Indies. These thrips cause so much damage to local farms.
Six spotted thrips. They have the capability of reducing population of the pest in corn fields and the farmers considered them as beneficial for protecting crops and their growth.
South African citrus thrips. These thrips are active during hot and dry seasons and they feed on soft leaves and fruits and are not matured. They are yellow-orange in color.
GETTING RID OF THRIPS
By removing weeds and grass around the garden areas to eliminate alternate hosts.
Clean up crop debris in the garden especially onion leaves after harvest.
Make sure to inspect plants you bring into the garden for signs of thrips.
Throw away any infested plants by putting them in the trash.
Use insecticidal soap made from naturally occurring plant oils and fats,this helps to knock down heavy infestation.
Also spinosad and neem oil can be used to spot treat heavily infested area.
Pruning can also get rid of infested plants by thrips.