Which thrips treatment to use when

Thrips Treatment Options: Layering up depending on what level of infestation you are dealing with

Thrips hide in flowers, leaf folds, and growing tips, so the goal isn’t just to get rid of what you can see—it’s to monitor, suppress, and cure your plants of them. Your are looking to gain control and keep it, there are no silver bullets - spraying will not work.

1. Blue Sticky Traps

Best for: Monitoring, early detection, light control, catching adults
Role: Surveillance + pest reduction

  • Thrips are strongly attracted to blue (more than yellow).

  • Traps help you confirm presence, track populations, and judge whether your predators are winning.

  • They will catch adults, but won’t control an outbreak alone.

How to use

  • Place around plants, ideally above or high in the plant.  Cut to size if necessary

  • Use preventatively or at first suspicion

  • Check weekly and replace when dusty or full

Sticky traps tell you when to act—not how hard to act.

2. Slow-Release Amblyseius cucumeris Sachets

Best for: Prevention and low-level infestations
Role: Long-term bodyguards for your plants

  • Sachets release cucumeris gradually over 4–6 weeks.

  • They feed on thrips larvae (not adults), breaking the life cycle early.

  • Ideal for houseplants, greenhouses, or collections where prevention matters.

How to use

  • Hang sachets in foliage, shaded from direct sun.  No need to open sachet, there is a hole for the mites to crawl out

  • Use before a thrips population explodes

  • Combine with sticky traps for monitoring

Limitations

  • Too slow for heavy infestations, wont prey on adult thrips

  • Not effective if temperatures are very low (below 6°C) or very hot (over 30°C)

Cucumeris sachets are preventative care—like flossing, not emergency surgery.

3. Horticultural Soap

Best for: Knockdown during active infestations, keep it on hand
Role: Immediate population reduction

  • Soap kills thrips on contact by disrupting cell membranes.

  • Effective against adults and larvae you can spray directly

  • No residual effect so no harmful substance left on plant meaning that predators can be deployed immediately after use

How to use

  • Thorough coverage is critical (undersides, buds, leaf folds)

  • Use frequently and reduce once you are seeing less thrips

  • Use as part of your care routine to prevent pest outbreaks

Compatibility

  • Test small areas of delicate or flowering plants before use

  • Generally predator-safe after drying

  • Avoid spraying directly onto beneficial insects

Soap buys you time—but predators win the war.

4. Single Release Amblyseius cucumeris

Best for: Early infestations or after cleaning the plants with soap (see above)
Role: Fast reinforcement

  • Immediate release of hungry mites instead of slow drip

  • Excellent after soap treatment to catch newly hatching larvae

  • Works best when thrips numbers are already reduced

How to use

  • Sprinkle onto foliage or growth points

  • Combine with sticky traps to track success

Limitations

  • Short-lived without food

  • Not enough alone for heavy infestations

5. Orius (Minute Pirate Bugs)

Best for: Moderate to heavy infestations
Role: Thrips assassins

  • One of the only predators that kills adult thrips

  • Aggressive, fast, and effective

  • Also feeds on pollen—great for flowering plants

How to use

  • Release when thrips are clearly present

  • Needs warm temps and some humidity, perfect in houseplant collections

  • Works best once thrips numbers justify the cost

Limitations

  • Not preventative

  • Can disperse if food runs out

If thrips are throwing a party, Orius shows up uninvited and shuts it down

6. Hypoaspis (Stratiolaelaps scimitus)

Best for: Soil-stage support and multi pest situations
Role: Ground-level cleanup crew

  • Lives in soil and eats thrips pupae, fungus gnat larvae, and other pests

  • Complements foliar predators perfectly

  • Especially useful for potted plants and propagation areas

How to use

  • Apply to moist soil surface

  • Works best when combined with cucumeris or orius above ground

Thrips don’t just live on leaves—Hypoaspis are your soil saviours

How to create the perfect mix for your situation

Prevention (No thrips yet… hopefully)

  • Blue sticky traps

  • Slow-release cucumeris sachets

  • Optional Hypoaspis for soil insurance, especially if fungus gnats are an issue

Early Infestation

  • Sticky traps + soap (1–2 treatments per week)

  • Single-release cucumeris

  • Hypoaspis in soil

Moderate to Heavy Infestation

  • Soap for immediate knockdown

  • Orius for adult control

  • Cucumeris sachets for larvae and on-going control

  • Hypoaspis to stop reinfestation from soil

Thrips control works best when you combine monitoring, mechanical suppression, and biological control—and when you start before plants are infested.

SHOP THE RANGE