Thrips infestation
Visible insects / animals & Stains / spots & Color change

Thrips infestation

📍
Leaf top side, Leaf bottom side, Whole plant
📈
Gradually worsened, Very slow growth, Normal growth
Shiny / silvery spots Small light specks / pinpoint feeding damage Black spots / frass marks Dry / papery spots
⚠️ Verwechslungsgefahr

Thrips leave silvery-shiny spots that look like dried snail trails. Tiny black droppings are often found in these areas. The insects themselves are very narrow (like small lines) and agile. In case of severe infestation, young leaves deform during bud break.

Go to solution

Ursachenforschung: Was ist passiert?

Dry air and warm temperatures. The pests bore open the leaf cells and suck out the sap, allowing air to enter the cells (silvery effect).

Systemische Einordnung

What is often really behind it

Pests are often not just an isolated problem, but a sign that plants are under stress or that the environmental balance is disturbed. In addition to direct control, it should therefore always be investigated why the plant became susceptible. Soft tissue, nitrogen surpluses, drought stress, or persistently moist conditions significantly increase the risk of infestation. A stable grow is not only achieved by reacting to pests, but by creating an environment that makes the plant more resilient overall.

You should also check these causes

Spider mite infestation
Visible insects / animals · Stains / spots · Color change

Spider mite infestation

Check problem →
Aphids
Visible Insects / Animals · Deformation / Deformed Growth · Color Change · Conspicuous Growth

Aphids

Check problem →
Heat stress
Deformation / Deformed growth · Drooping / wilting plant parts · Discoloration · Unusual growth

Heat stress

Check problem →
✓ Grow Lab expert solution

The right treatment

Thrips often pupate in the soil, so control must be two-pronged. Hang blue sticky traps to catch flying adults. Predatory mites (Amblyseius cucumeris) or lacewing larvae are excellent for biological control. Spray plants in the vegetative phase every 3 days with a neem oil-water emulsion, ensuring that the undersides of the leaves and the top layer of soil are particularly well-covered.

Increasing humidity to over 60% significantly hinders thrips reproduction. Check the undersides of leaves daily for yellowish larvae.

In the case of persistent infestation, the use of beneficial insects such as predatory bugs, which actively hunt all stages, can also be useful.

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After diagnosis, the right decision counts

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