Violet thrips

Violets are, perhaps, the most popular indoor plants that are relatively unpretentious, and at the same time have a very beautiful appearance. But violets can be affected by pests, among which the most dangerous are thrips. On violets, they can go through absolutely every phase of development, and at the same time thrips cause irreparable harm to indoor plantings, since they can very quickly move from one bush to the rest. In this article, we will dwell in more detail on what this pest is, for what reasons it appears on plants, how dangerous thrips are on violets, and what measures a gardener can take in order to get rid of this pest and save violets.

Thrips on violets and why they are dangerous

Thrips on violets: useful video

Thrips on violets are small pests that mainly suck sap from plants, and feed on them throughout their life. They pass, by the way, several main stages of development, and all of them can proceed directly on the surface of the violet. From an egg to an adult viable individual, thrips go through five main stages of their development. One female during her whole life can lay about one thousand eggs, and sometimes more. There are more than two thousand species of thrips, and 360 species of this parasite live on the territory of our country and the former Soviet Union.

Adults are quite small, they have an oblong body and transparent wings. The size of pests usually does not exceed one and a half millimeters, so sometimes it is very difficult to see them with the naked eye. There are also smaller individuals, which are also almost impossible to see without a magnifying glass. But thrips are very damaging to plants, and it is from the plants that you can understand that something is wrong with them, and that they need help in the fight against pests. Parasites can also be painted in different colors - there are black and gray thrips, white and yellowish thrips, which are still not so much stand out, but if their accumulation is abundant, then they can be clearly seen.

The life cycle of thrips on violets is about thirty-five days, they can develop in very different, even the least favorable conditions for themselves, since thrips are really very tenacious. For example, in the soil and on the surface of the soil, as well as in the plant itself and in its tissues, the pests themselves and its eggs can also perfectly take root in such conditions, and there they feel completely safe. In addition, thrips multiply very quickly, and therefore, in this regard, it is quite problematic to fight thrips on violets. Then the gardener needs to know about some of the intricacies and rules in order to actually get an excellent result in the fight against these pests.

Since we have already indicated that thrips on violets are sucking pests that feed on plant sap and tissues, they can destroy whole healthy plants in a very short time. Agree, questions immediately arise of how to properly care for the plantings so that thrips never grow in plants. The larvae of these pests very actively open the anthers on the peduncles, but already grown insects can bite through the stems and leaves, suck out all the nutrients from them, due to which the plant, in principle, survives under the prevailing conditions.In addition, it is worth focusing on the fact that insects can infect not only violets, but also vegetables, since they reproduce throughout the year. This means that they do not take any breaks in reproduction, they simply do not need them. When growing seedling planting material on windowsills, it is important to prevent thrips from actively multiplying, otherwise it will really lead to tragedy and loss of yield.

Thrips on violets: photo

Thrips on violets: signs of appearance

Since thrips for violets is a big problem, it is necessary to know and be able to recognize in time the most basic features and signs that these pests have begun to multiply and develop on violets. Next, we will tell you in more detail, by what signs you can just understand that thrips have appeared on the plant:

• pollen and anthers began to crumble from the violets, and this just suggests that some negative changes are taking place with the plant
• the leaves gradually curl, cease to be elastic, and the external attractiveness of the plant is very quickly lost
• specks and blotches may appear on the leaves, which are painted in white and gray shades, which looks very unattractive, and immediately suggests that something is wrong with the plant, namely that the plant has been attacked by pests (thrips)
• the buds wither very quickly, without even having time to open up properly, and the flowers begin to actively wither and darken, which also suggests that negative changes are taking place with the plant
• a sticky bloom forms on the surface of the plant - on leaves, stems, on inflorescences
• the leaves darken, fall off, and they fall off very abundantly, so this also suggests that sucking pests have grown on the plant, which literally sucked all vitality and juices from the violets.

Some of the signs that we described a little above may also indicate that the plant was attacked by other pests, not only thrips. For this reason, similar signs and symptoms also appeared, and therefore it is necessary to examine the violet from all sides, carefully examining the leaves, stems, and the root circle. This will allow you to detect adult individuals of thrips, and then stumble upon larvae, which will clearly show themselves, and the gardener will understand that he will have to fight with this pest.

Of course, it is very important to consider the subtleties and methods of dealing with thrips on violets, especially when it comes to such a pliable and delicate flower as violet. Thrips are very difficult to remove from the plant, and therefore, as soon as the grower notices the very first signs of thrips, he must immediately begin to combat these pests and to treat the plant from its attack. In order to destroy thrips, it is necessary to use special drugs and pesticides, which are just initially used against persistent parasites, which you can not take at all with other drugs and means. You can also simultaneously work on the fight against other pests - with ticks and scale insects, which do not attack violets so often, but they can still be found on these delicate incredible plants.

Thrips on violets: handling and fighting

Thrips on violets: useful video

In order for the treatment to be as effective as possible, experienced florists recommend using comprehensive measures to combat thrips and to destroy them. The methods of fighting thrips on violets can be very diverse, it all depends on what means and capabilities the gardener himself has, and what skills and knowledge he also has. We will list the necessary steps for the fight to be incredibly effective, and so that the result is visible immediately from the very first fighting techniques:

• firstly, infected bushes must be clearly identified and isolated from other, still healthy plants.Usually violets are transferred to another room, away from healthy Saintpaulias.
• if flower stalks have formed on the plant, then it is best to cut them off from the very beginning and immediately destroy them. This is due to the fact that pest larvae most often live in flowers and buds, and therefore these are the very first parts of the plant that must be removed in order to preserve violets.
• before the violets are treated with chemicals, they must be washed under warm water to remove dust or any areas of contamination
• chemicals are diluted in accordance with the instructions that come with each drug. It is also necessary to remember about the precautions, because otherwise a person can cause a lot of harm to himself, his own condition and health. Also, spraying with chemicals is carried out using a spray bottle.
• after the gardener has carried out several systematic treatments, it is necessary to return to the usual care of the plant. But at the same time, the plant should still remain in its old place, since the gardener should make sure that the plant has definitely improved its health, and that all pests have been exterminated.

In general, it must be borne in mind that thrips on violets have time to develop immunity to certain chemicals. This is due to the fact that the growers themselves constantly pickle thrips with various preparations, and they simply do not react to them in any way. But at the same time, you can still fight thrips, and do it very effectively. Experienced growers give their recommendations on this matter: the etching of thrips should be carried out systematically for one month. During this time, those larvae and eggs that were initially safe can also be reborn, and at the same time they will also be subject to a chemical attack, which means that after a while or almost immediately (depending on the quality of the chemical) they will die. Sometimes, in the fight against thrips, flower growers use not the most standard methods and methods. For example, some people prepare soap or alcohol solutions, and also use shampoo for animals, believing that if the shampoo fights ticks and fleas, then it will certainly affect thrips.

One of the best known remedies for thrips on violets is an insecticide called green soap. This soap is based on potassium salt, fatty acids that have a contact effect and can very quickly destroy some pests and insects. The drug is also capable of acting on those parasites that live on violets. But it is worth remembering that green soap is most effective only in its pure form, without any impurities. But you can also mix green soap with other chemicals that also target pests that invade houseplants.

When the gardener treats the plant with green soap, a film forms on the insect's body, which envelops the thrips and blocks their respiratory tract. Accordingly, in this regard, thrips die very quickly. In order to work with insecticides, it is necessary to remember about safety measures, using gloves and a mask in order to cover the respiratory tract. In order to mix green soap, you can only use a glass or porcelain container. You cannot constantly use the same means for pest control, it is worth systematically changing the preparations so that thrips do not form the effect of addiction to the same remedy. It is worth choosing funds based on what active ingredients are contained in the preparations - they should also preferably be different. It is believed that it will be thanks to this approach that it will be possible to increase the effectiveness of the fight against some harmful insects.Such subtleties are very important to consider when fighting thrips, and they will help to carry out this fight especially effectively.

There are some other drugs that help control pests that are effective. For example, this is a drug like Aktara. Thrips over time can really adapt to such drugs, they can develop immunity, and treatment with some substances does not give any effect at all. For this reason, experienced florists give their recommendations and say that it is worth treating thrips with a concentrated solution of Actara. One way or another, no one forgets that it is important to also adhere to the instructions for use. In combination or separately, you can use several more drugs. For example, such products as fitoverm, vermitek, confidor, tanrek, agravertin are excellent for this. All these preparations should be prepared in accordance with the instructions for use, so as not to harm the plants, and so that the grower himself does not harm his own health and condition. In general, safety precautions are perhaps the most significant part in drug treatment.

Of course, you can avoid altogether that thrips will begin to multiply on violets. The most effective method, as many growers know and understand, is precisely the prevention of diseases and attacks from pests. In order to prevent thrips from appearing on violets in any case, several elementary preventive measures should be taken, which even a gardener and florist who does not have certain experience in this matter can cope with. So, among such measures it is worth highlighting the following:

• it should not be allowed that the air in the room in which the violets are located is too dry, as this provokes the development of pests
• during the summer treatment, sometimes violets can be bathed. To do this, you can dip them in warm running water or arrange a warm shower for the plants.
• all new, freshly bought violets must be placed in other rooms for the first time. This will be a kind of quarantine, so that if pests and bacteria multiply on new violets, they do not spread to old, healthy plants. And then, after a certain quarantine period, it will be possible to expose violets next to each other.

Prevention of violets from thrips

Thrips on violets: photo

The flower grower should regularly inspect the violets, and it is imperative to pay attention to what happens on the back of the leaves, as well as in the middle of the flowers. These zones are the very first to be attacked if the plant is attacked by pests and, in particular, thrips. If suddenly a florist discovers thrips on violets, then you should not immediately worry and panic. It is better to analyze the situation rationally and start treatment immediately. Also, systematically diseased and infected plants are processed. Systematic processing is organized according to the schedule. On average, you need to process the plant five times, with breaks of five or seven days. If you follow all the rules, if you also look closely at the plant, be able to see what worries him and what he needs, then there is a high probability that any infected violet can be safely saved in any situation. In some cases, in principle, you may not even have experience in order to control pests, including thrips. The main thing is to identify thrips on violets in time and take all the necessary measures.