Telltale Signs Your Plants Have Thrips And What You Can Do About It

Thrips are tiny, sap-sucking insects that can cause significant damage to plants, both indoors and out. These slender, rice-shaped pests feed on plant juices and lay their eggs on or inside leaves. The eggs quickly hatch into larvae that mature in as little as two weeks. Thrips can also transmit harmful plant diseases, compounding the damage they cause. Recognizing the signs of a thrip infestation early is crucial for keeping your plants healthy and pest-free. 

Though they are nearly invisible to the naked eye, thrips' impact is hard to miss. These pests leave unmistakable signs of damage, such as silvery streaks, deformed flowers, discolored or scarred foliage and stems, and black specks of excrement on leaves. Flowers can look misshapen, and even new shoots often come out scarred. Wherever you might be growing plants — in a backyard or on a windowsill — catching and treating a thrip infestation at an early stage is crucial to avoid extensive damage. Let's look more specifically at how these pests affect outdoor and indoor plants and what you can do to help your greenery recover.

Outdoor plants are susceptible to thrips because they can easily migrate between plants and survive in different climates, although they multiply more rapidly in warm weather. If your garden plants don't look quite right, examine their leaves for the telltale silvery streaks or black spots. Although thrips like to attack roses and fruit trees, they also infest vegetables, such as onions or tomatoes; no plant is safe from their destructive habits.

To control outdoor thrips, first prune off heavily infested leaves or stems to get rid of the worst of the infestation. After that, try introducing good bugs that'll chase these pests out of your garden. Ladybugs and lacewings are excellent candidates for whom thrips make a tasty meal. Additionally, you can protect your garden from thrips with an easy-to-grow perennial like catnip or strong-smelling plants like basil or rosemary.

Horticultural oils and insecticidal soaps can also work but be sure to follow the product directions and avoid using them during the hottest part of the day to prevent plant burn. Routine upkeep is important — check plants weekly and remove weeds, which often become breeding sites for thrips. Should the infestation continue, you may want to use a neem oil solution as a preventative every one to two weeks. If you remain vigilant and tackle issues promptly, you should eventually put an end to the infestation. 

Indoor plants may seem sheltered from pests, but thrips can still invade your home, often hitching a ride on new plants, cut flowers, or even coming in through open windows. In an indoor environment lacking natural predators, their presence can lead to extreme damage. You'll know you have a thrip infestation on your hands if you see the same telltale signs on your houseplants, like black marks, scarred foliage, and deformed blooms. 

If you're seeing these signs, isolate any affected plants to keep the infestation from spreading. Examine leaves closely with a magnifying glass for small, moving insects. Remove as many thrips as you can physically by wiping down leaves with a damp cloth or spraying them off with water. As with outdoor plants, a solution of neem oil can also be effective for indoor plants, especially because it's non-toxic to your pets!

Sticky traps can be placed near the plants to catch adult thrips. You can also try this hydrogen peroxide pest control hack by spraying a 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide and water directly into the soil. Make sure that your plants are also receiving adequate water, since thrips love dry environments. Once the infestation is under control, prune off any damaged foliage, repot the plant, and ensure that there's enough light and humidity to help the plant recover.