[OpusatFR]

I have thrips in my tomatoes. I’ve treated with Pyola which has suppressed them, but this is the fourth week of the battle.

I have Biocide, but it can kill bees so I haven’t used it.

Any suggestions?

[who knows what evil?]

I actually had some idiot from co-op extension tell me to pick them (and aphids) off the leaves as soaps and insecticides "aren't good for the environment". I tried the ladybug route...save your money. I've had success with neem-based soaps, but you have to keep at it...bumper crop of aphids in New England. I KNEW G-d was going to hit us with Bilical plagues in they passed gay 'marriage' up here. :-)

Summer may stop by for a day today, then back to the cool stuff.

[Red_Devil 232]

Insecticidal Soap, Permethrin, Yellow sticky traps.

[hoosiermama]

http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/thrips.html

[hoosiermama]

Found these two techniques interesting: (first thing they tell us here is do a soil test)

The fact that thrips are color-sensitive suggests that colored mulches may be effective in their control. Louisiana researchers conducted a study to see whether aluminum-coated mulch would repel the pest.

Soil fertility management may also affect thrips infestation and damage. According to one source (10), a lack of adequate soil calcium may invite higher populations of thrips. Another writer suggests that nutritional balance can reduce thrips attack. High nitrate levels will invite thrips, and the effects of excessive nitrate are compounded by shortages of potassium, sulfur, boron, and manganese

[hoosiermama]

Two good sources of calcium: The lime they feed to chicken (egg shells) and gypson board....Know a contractor get his scraps of sheetrock and break up in your garden....It’s get for clay too.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Try ‘Rotenone.’ You can get in as a powder, but can make it into a spray. Don’t use it if it’s near water, though.

Use or spray when bees are least active at the end of the day. It’s approved for ‘organic gardening.’ We sell a ton of it at the garden center, though I’ve never had to use any chemicals of any kind in my organic garden, by design, so I don’t have personal experience with it. Sorry!

“Rotenone is a resinous compound produced by the roots of two members of the Leguminoceae family. Its common use is to control various leaf-feeding caterpillars, beetles, aphids and thrips on a wide variety of vegetables and small fruits. A slow-acting chemical, rotenone requires several days to kill most susceptible insects, but insect feeding stops shortly after exposure.

Rotenone is moderately toxic to most mammals, but is extremely toxic to fish. It’s widely used to poison “trash” fish during restocking projects. It has been assigned a CAUTION rating.”

http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4DMG/VegFruit/organic.htm