Thrips

[Vegan4life]

The true soaps can be used straight through flower, but only work as a contact killer. They work by dissolving the exoskeleton of the bugs but you have to spray them directly to have any effect. A bug landing on a freshly sprayed leaf will be largely unaffected. To use, spray on and under the leaves in every nook and cranny you can, let dry then rinse off with clean water.

Hello @Azimuth, @bluter, @Pat Puffer I hope all is well. So I sprayed my flowering girls with Dr Bonner's Castile soap 5 tablespoons mixed with 1 gallon RO water (2% solution) three times (one month ago), I also upped the amount of SNS-209 to 1 tablespoon per gallon of water every watering. No more thrips! My wife is concerned that my buds may be toxic or make me ill now, due to the soap... I did rinse plants/buds with water a couple of times. I should be Harvesting in the next week or two. I will be doing a four bucket bud wash. Do you think there is any need for concern?

 

[Azimuth]

No worries with the soap spray, especially since you're doing a bud wash.

I don't know about the SNS-209. Lots of growers use it so should be fine but check the website to be sure.

 

[Pat Puffer]

I am also unaware of SNS's chemical impact, as mentioned check their website. Dr. Bonner's should be okay as it is organically derived. SNS would have a disclaimer of sorts if there would be an adverse reaction or any concern for that matter.

Both should prove harmless for their intended purpose and use. Then again that is just a presumptive guess without hard evidence or any research. I wish I knew more at this point to better advise you.

 

[Vegan4life]

No worries with the soap spray, especially since you're doing a bud wash.

I don't know about the SNS-209. Lots of growers use it so should be fine but check the website to be sure.

I am also unaware of SNS's chemical impact, as mentioned check their website. Dr. Bonner's should be okay as it is organically derived. SNS would have a disclaimer of sorts if there would be an adverse reaction or any concern for that matter.

Both should prove harmless for their intended purpose and use. Then again that is just a presumptive guess without hard evidence or any research. I wish I knew more at this point to better advise you.

I was (wife is) mostly concerned about the soap, SNS has replied to me on their thread in the past and has assured me that SNS-209 is safe to use up to harvest, also safe for spinach, lettuce and other produce. I have been using SNS-209 as a soil drench for my last 3 or 4 grows. Thank you both for your responses...

 

[Phytoplankton]

I was (wife is) mostly concerned about the soap, SNS has replied to me on their thread in the past and has assured me that SNS-209 is safe to use up to harvest, also safe for spinach, lettuce and other produce. I have been using SNS-209 as a soil drench for my last 3 or 4 grows. Thank you both for your responses...

The only caveat is: While SNS says it good up to harvest, is that based on smoking it, or eating it? Sometimes, and I'm not saying this is the case, burning certain chemicals produce toxins that are different from those found when the plants are ingested. Castille soap won't cause any issues, just wash your buds.

I'm in the middle of a small thrip issue, going for control vs eradication. Using diatomaceous earth and depending on how that works, castille soap. BTW, thanks for the soap recipe, I was looking for one. I'm 4-6 weeks into flower and don't want to use chems if I don't have to. I will definitely nuke the tent, soil, and gardening tools before the next grow!

 

[Vegan4life]

The only caveat is: While SNS says it good up to harvest, is that based on smoking it, or eating it? Sometimes, and I'm not saying this is the case, burning certain chemicals produce toxins that are different from those found when the plants are ingested. Castille soap won't cause any issues, just wash your buds.

I'm in the middle of a small thrip issue, going for control vs eradication. Using diatomaceous earth and depending on how that works, castille soap. BTW, thanks for the soap recipe, I was looking for one. I'm 4-6 weeks into flower and don't want to use chems if I don't have to. I will definitely nuke the tent, soil, and gardening tools before the next grow!

I do believe that the SNS-209 was a big part of eradicating the thrips, using it at double strength. Along with knocking them down with Dr Bonner's Castile soap. It would be great if @Sierra Natural Science would chime in on the effects of Vaping or smoking cannabis that had been grown using SNS-209 throughout its life. Or if a study has even been done?

 

[jimiding]

So what is the hands down best method for dealing with this pest I have tried sns and safer soap and have felt with them every flower cycle for four runs. Any help is welcome

I struggled with thrips for months and tried all kinds of stuff. I finally found something that works. Here is a link the formula. (This guys gets a little confused on the H2O2 percentage. Most peroxide is 3% and this formula would use 1 teaspoon of 3%)

Somebody said don't use alcohol or oil on the buds because it dissolves the tricomes, turpines etc. I had kept the thrips at bay with diatomaceous earth, but couldn't eradicate them until I found this. I also found out that thrips can't do much to the buds because once they start making tricomes, the thrips can't navigate and get caught in the natural sticky traps of the sugar leaves. They can flat destroy a vegetating plant, but this formula completely eradicated them.

 

[Emilya Green]

I am sorry I didnt see this thread when it first was created. I have extensive experience with the SNS products and as a reviewer I have done separate reviews on 3 of the main @Sierra Natural Science products, 209, 203 and 217.

First, let me mention that instead of the 209 that people have mentioned here on this thread, the best SNS product to go after thrips is SNS-203. 209 is more of a preventative, and not really designed for use against an active bug crisis. 209 is added to the water from the very beginning of the grow, to make the plants taste bad to bugs. It is not designed to be used to kill existing bugs.

SNS 203 however is some strong bug and mold and fungus killing stuff.... and it can be mixed strong if you need it. Thrips have to be kept after though, and spraying at least every 3 days is mandatory if you expect to break this bug's lifecycle. Keep giving regular applications, and you will kill the bugs in about 21 days, and then I would keep with the spraying at least every week until you can do a deep clean of the area.

SNS is made from Rosemary and Clove, and it will leave a taste on your buds, but it is easily removed with even a simple bud washing. Taste should not be a factor when considering whether to use this product. I have never noticed a taste associated with using SNS209 in the water either... it is working on a cellular level and doesn't affect the natural tastes and flavors of the product.

If you would like to see my reviews on these products, please click the links below in my signature lines.

 

[Evergreen89]

@Emilya Green I’m sure I spoke with you on sns products before. My thrip infestation is no more due to fact I don’t landscape professionally anymore. But I hope other people with this issue can find useful info in this thread. The sns product I used did help a lot with no foul taste or anything late in flower

 

[seaofgreen18]

So what is the hands down best method for dealing with this pest I have tried sns and safer soap and have felt with them every flower cycle for four runs. Any help is welcome

If you're a serious grower you do a IPM My self ,I do a routine IPM (integrated pest management) but the first thing to do is keep healthy plants second thing is humidity or environmental control third thing soil moisture 80 to 120 milibar of soil tension not sure about hydro but wet pots aren't good and then after those criterias are met
I do is rove beetles, nematodes for inside along with hypsis miles indoors for my grow and outside alot of beneficial plants for natural predators like parasitic wasps and green lacewings no preying mantis they are to much of a generalist any other questions about this hit me up if interested the wild flowers are for predators

 

[seaofgreen18]

Dalotia coriaria is a fast-moving, soil dwelling rove beetle. It is a generalist predator that feeds on a wide range of small insects and mites but is primarily an egg predator.

The Rove Beetle is used in the control of fungus gnats, thrips pupae, moth fly larvae, shore flies, root mealybugs, springtails and other small arthropods.

The supplied adults can fly and find hard-to-reach locations in greenhouses where pests may lurk. The larvae are predaceous and resemble the adults. They thrive in damp conditions and are ideally introduced early during propagation cycles in greenhouses. Can be combined with BioStratiolaelaps to help prevent root aphids

While they are beetles, they do not quite look like beetles. They are light to dark brown in color, with adults being 3-4 mm long. BioAtheta curve their abdomen upwards (like scorpions) and can run or fly when disturbed . Since they can actively fly, they rapidly colonize the release area.

Each adult rove beetle consumes 10-20 prey per day. In greenhouse conditions, adults are non-diapausing and can be used year round especially in propagation conditions.

 

[seaofgreen18]

There are many species of thrips, approximately 6,000 species have been described by entomologists. Thrips are worldwide pests with a wide range of host plants and some thrips are predators of other insects or mites, thus scouting and identification are crucial.

 

[Fredthesmoker]

I've also got thrip infestation on my perpetual grow. I got flower in week 5 right now, and they seems to be the biggest problem, since i've decided to use no more pyrethrin spray on them.

I have thought about presenting them some orius predators, but it will take a while for me to get them. I can also see some of you mention root drench with SNS. Im not from the states, so it seems to be difficult to catch these products.

Can someone point me how i should treat this problem, with the biggest chance of getting succesful harvest?


I have been looking at Bio green garlic also. Anyone tried that?

***and sorry im not the best at english

 

[CaptainLucky]

I've also got thrip infestation on my perpetual grow. I got flower in week 5 right now, and they seems to be the biggest problem, since i've decided to use no more pyrethrin spray on them.

I have thought about presenting them some orius predators, but it will take a while for me to get them. I can also see some of you mention root drench with SNS. Im not from the states, so it seems to be difficult to catch these products.

Can someone point me how i should treat this problem, with the biggest chance of getting succesful harvest?


I have been looking at Bio green garlic also. Anyone tried that?

***and sorry im not the best at english

Dr.Bonner’s soap and a little garlic. CL

 

[Fredthesmoker]

Dr.Bonner’s soap and a little garlic. CL

Thanks

 

[seaofgreen18]

Start with some blue sticky traps to catch adults when you aren't around to spray and I'll tell you those thrips are SNEAKY and SMART I had some in my pots outside, I seen one hanging out on a branch as soon as The DAMN THING seen me it ran down the stalk right into the soil and so I was like "You LITTLE FUCKER, I'll get you!" So I stepped neem seed meal in water for 24 hrs with aeration and gave a GOOD DRENCH oh it flushed em right out of the soil I
I sprayed that dude with Karanja oil and soap as an emulsifier DEAD Thrip! But I went ahead and got some nematodes problem solved outside now inside I use rove beetles I don't seem to have an issue with thrips at all and fungus gnats are at a minimum.
I hang yellow sticky traps to give me an idea if I have an issue or not. I do a regular IPM Integrated Pest Management with benificials and nematodes. Try not to get any of that soap on your Flowers That would suck! Good luck

 

[CaptainLucky]

Start with some blue sticky traps to catch adults when you aren't around to spray and I'll tell you those thrips are SNEAKY and SMART I had some in my pots outside, I seen one hanging out on a branch as soon as The DAMN THING seen me it ran down the stalk right into the soil and so I was like "You LITTLE FUCKER, I'll get you!" So I stepped neem seed meal in water for 24 hrs with aeration and gave a GOOD DRENCH oh it flushed em right out of the soil I
I sprayed that dude with Karanja oil and soap as an emulsifier DEAD Thrip! But I went ahead and got some nematodes problem solved outside now inside I use rove beetles I don't seem to have an issue with thrips at all and fungus gnats are at a minimum.
I hang yellow sticky traps to give me an idea if I have an issue or not. I do a regular IPM Integrated Pest Management with benificials and nematodes. Try not to get any of that soap on your Flowers That would suck! Good luck

I wouldn’t use neem on a flowering plant use 1 tbsp. Of Dr. Bonner’s in a quart of warm not hot warm water and spray before lights out. You want a fine mist on the underside of your leaves and then start watering the tops. Start from the bottom and work your way up. But don’t drench it until it’s dripping. Good luck n happy growing. CL Edit: If you’re outdoors you have to reapply for rain. Otherwise every 3 days. Also avoid the flowers.

 

[seaofgreen18]

Diatomaceous Earth might work as well

 

[Fredthesmoker]

Start with some blue sticky traps to catch adults when you aren't around to spray and I'll tell you those thrips are SNEAKY and SMART I had some in my pots outside, I seen one hanging out on a branch as soon as The DAMN THING seen me it ran down the stalk right into the soil and so I was like "You LITTLE FUCKER, I'll get you!" So I stepped neem seed meal in water for 24 hrs with aeration and gave a GOOD DRENCH oh it flushed em right out of the soil I
I sprayed that dude with Karanja oil and soap as an emulsifier DEAD Thrip! But I went ahead and got some nematodes problem solved outside now inside I use rove beetles I don't seem to have an issue with thrips at all and fungus gnats are at a minimum.
I hang yellow sticky traps to give me an idea if I have an issue or not. I do a regular IPM Integrated Pest Management with benificials and nematodes. Try not to get any of that soap on your Flowers That would suck! Good luck

I hope i got lucky until now, since i havn't seen anyone else than these small larva worm like thrips. Mostly moving on top of the leaves and white dots, which i guess are "eggs" underneath the leaves.
It makes me a little confused with all people talking about pest coming from soil, when im pretty sure mine only live on the leaves..

- Okay, but it makes no harm right? Its better than pyrethrin i guess, which i used until now. Maybe i should make a bud wash at harvest. - also a new thing for me like the pest

 

[Fredthesmoker]

I wouldn’t use neem on a flowering plant use 1 tbsp. Of Dr. Bonner’s in a quart of warm not hot warm water and spray before lights out. You want a fine mist on the underside of your leaves and then start watering the tops. Start from the bottom and work your way up. But don’t drench it until it’s dripping. Good luck n happy growing. CL Edit: If you’re outdoors you have to reapply for rain. Otherwise every 3 days.

Does this method also take out the egg stage, so there will not be a new infestation the next day ? I think i read somewhere the eggs are pretty rough to get rid of ?