A scourge to plants. A bane to gardeners. A plague to nurserymen.
Thrips are like tiny Insecticons, Decepticon robots that transform into insects and wreak havoc. Or better yet, thrips are like the tiny bugs that comprised GORT.
Rasping mouthparts scrape away the outer cell walls of plants causing them to leak. The thrips then drink the sap. One is inconsequential, but thrips multiply like wildfire. It is literally death by thousands of tiny cuts. Plus they can vector diseases and stain foliage with their fecal matters.
Affected plants show damage typically on the underside of the leaves. Soon the plants begin to wilt and most don't recover. Since thrips feed on and lay eggs in foliage, bulbous plants that go dormant can often escape the worse.
|
 |
Left: 2nd worse -rabbits. My nemesis for years at my community garden. Now they have moved into my southside garden as well. Even baby bunnies look hideous and evil to me now.
I'm scarred. Rabbits have ravaged my lilies, hepaticas, dahlias, toothworts, tulips, Pasque flower, and crocuses.
Even worse, in winter they munch smaller shrubs (pygmy barberry, leadplant, blueberry, and azalea) to the ground. And they can kill larger woodies by stripping the bark. |
