Thrips Citric Acid

[Hollatchaboy]

I have been squishing them by pressing the leaves between thumb and forefinger where I see them. They're easy to spot under the light once you know what to look for, especially when they see that giant thumb bearing down and scurry lol. I do this three times a day and have only five medium size plants in week 6 of flower in a 4x4 so it's manageable for the most part, but I know I am slowly fighting a losing battle.

Search 'Thrips' on here and after some poking around found this. Dr. Zymes ... I think I'll order a bottle this week....

Sulfur was Magic against Russet and Broad Mites but Thrips seem to be surviving it?

What is the best Knock Down for Thrips??? Luckily they are spreading very very slowly maybe because I grow in L.E.C.a. Hydroton Expanded Clay etc.... But I have like lots of possibilties, Neem being the one I would prefer to use the least since it is the least Compatable with my Sulfur...

www.rollitup.org

Ive used it. It works well. Use a surfactant with it.

 

[Samwiseman420]

I have been squishing them by pressing the leaves between thumb and forefinger where I see them. They're easy to spot under the light once you know what to look for, especially when they see that giant thumb bearing down and scurry lol. I do this three times a day and have only five medium size plants in week 6 of flower in a 4x4 so it's manageable for the most part, but I know I am slowly fighting a losing battle.

Search 'Thrips' on here and after some poking around found this. Dr. Zymes ... I think I'll order a bottle this week....

Sulfur was Magic against Russet and Broad Mites but Thrips seem to be surviving it?

What is the best Knock Down for Thrips??? Luckily they are spreading very very slowly maybe because I grow in L.E.C.a. Hydroton Expanded Clay etc.... But I have like lots of possibilties, Neem being the one I would prefer to use the least since it is the least Compatable with my Sulfur...

www.rollitup.org

Capt. Jacks Dead Bug Brew is best for spraying thrips. Good luck.

 

[Avering]

The dish soap acts as a surfactant.. I use just a drop of Dawn.. Try not to spray the buds if possible..

The dish soap is essential, without of soap or wetting agent the hairs on insects work against surface tension, like springtails walking on water, a few drops of wetting agent and they fall straight through the water surface.

Hey yall was I supposed to mix soap with my citric acid ? The plants ain’t doing too bad. Bout to spray them for lights out . Thank you all who have contributed to this thread. I had put a bunch of predatory insects in there ( cucumeris, minute pirate bugs) and ladybugs but I only really see a few ladybugs now and one or two minute pirate bugs. Not sure if they died or went in the soil

 

[Star Dog]

Yes I'd use it everytime it makes the fluid cling to them sort of magnetic, without surface tension fluid sort engulfs them in the blink of eye.

It's worth googling surface tension it's important with diy pesticides.

 

[Avering]

Yes I'd use it everytime it makes the fluid cling to them sort of magnetic, without surface tension fluid sort engulfs them in the blink of eye.

It's worth googling surface tension it's important with diy pesticides.

Thank you!

 

[Hollatchaboy]

Hey yall was I supposed to mix soap with my citric acid ? The plants ain’t doing too bad. Bout to spray them for lights out . Thank you all who have contributed to this thread. I had put a bunch of predatory insects in there ( cucumeris, minute pirate bugs) and ladybugs but I only really see a few ladybugs now and one or two minute pirate bugs. Not sure if they died or went in the soil

Yes, you can and should use soap(surfactant), though if it were me, I'd only use dawn dish soap.
It works by breaking surface tension of water. Individual molecules of water are highly attractive to each other. That's why you get water droplets.
A surfactant makes them less attractive. Therefore, it let's the water cover a surface more evenly.

Most of the insects probably got eaten by the ladybugs. The rest probably died off from lack of food source.

 

[Avering]

Yes, you can and should use soap(surfactant), though if it were me, I'd only use dawn dish soap.
It works by breaking surface tension of water. Individual molecules of water are highly attractive to each other. That's why you get water droplets.
A surfactant makes them less attractive. Therefore, it let's the water cover a surface more evenly.

Most of the insects probably got eaten by the ladybugs. The rest probably died off from lack of food source.

Thank you, I have yucca extract that I was planning on using tonight instead of the soap since I don’t have unscented at the moment. Can’t wait to get rid of these guys, but a few people have told me it will be difficult to kill them off completely

 

[Star Dog]

Yucca afaik is natural wetting agent that should work fine.

I’ve no experience with thrips and citric but I can tell you citric fks up spider mite good, its used in some pesticides and its said to kill eggs so maybe?
Fingers crossed!

You've got to spray periodically to prevent any new eggs making it to adults.

Good luck!!

 

[Hollatchaboy]

Thank you, I have yucca extract that I was planning on using tonight instead of the soap since I don’t have unscented at the moment. Can’t wait to get rid of these guys, but a few people have told me it will be difficult to kill them off completely

I use yucca for ipm and every watering. Works good and it's organic.
Ive used dr zymes for thrips. It got rid of them, but diluted citric acid is basically the same thing. It should work the same, but you'll need to keep up with ipm for a bit, and if you're introducing anything new to the grow, like medium, compost, ewc, clones, you should be prepared for an outbreak of something.

 

[Avering]

I use yucca for ipm and every watering. Works good and it's organic.
Ive used dr zymes for thrips. It got rid of them, but diluted citric acid is basically the same thing. It should work the same, but you'll need to keep up with ipm for a bit, and if you're introducing anything new to the grow, like medium, compost, ewc, clones, you should be prepared for an outbreak of something.

Thank you. I just finished spraying them. 56 oz of water with 3 teaspoons or so of citric acid and a half teaspoon of yucca extract. I hope I didn’t go overboard with the citric acid. I have a 24” drum fan pointing at them on high with the tent open now. It’s lights off time and I’m a bit worried this could cause mold on the buds if I don’t give them strong wind

 

[Samwiseman420]

Seems like everyone is getting their bug stuff taken care of. Just remember you only win the battles. The bugs win the wars. We have proven that they come from the mediums and continue to come out of the medium weeks after you wet the soil. Keep soaking the soil surfaces and spraying the leaves. Use paint mesh bags/pantyhose to keep the bugs from escaping the pot and into the grow.

I can spray right thru the mesh bags to kill the trapped bugs coming from the holes in the bottom of the pots. medidedicated has said he sprays right thru the pantyhose wrapped around his pots. Star dog is getting bugs coming from nowhere inside his wrapped pots.

There is no way to completely win unless we find a new medium that has no bugs and is easy to grow in OR we do a full soil soak before planting our seeds/clones.

Full soil soaks done the proper way will work IMO. In my case would be a pain the ass tho. I would need a 4 x 8 just to pre soak my early pots. For guys doing 4 to 8 plants it should be very easy to prefill a few pots, fill with soil, and do the full wash method I wrote up on my fungus gnat experiment thread.

 

[Avering]

I sprayed the plants with citric acid solution (a bit over 4 teaspoons in a 56 oz spray container) and a quarter teaspoon of yucca powder. It’s some strong stuff. It bubbles when I spray a lot in one spot. The thrips have definitely decreased in numbers and I am not seeing many larvae at all. I haven’t been looking for the predatory insects but I have found a few surviving ladybugs in the tents. The two plants that are deeper into flower were affected the worst. The others have some infestation but very minimal. I may buy the pirate bugs again but I’m scared that the citric acid will just kill them off along with the thrips. I noticed that when I spray the larvae they seem to die instantly, kind of shrinking. I am attaching a picture of my two plants (G13 Genius) from Brothers Grimm and Chernobyl Slymer Cut by Bob Bitchen. The single plant is Campbell County Cheese from Brisco’s Bargain Beans. I may be underfeeding these, I’m scared to go overboard on the Espoma Garden tone. There are also earthworms in the pots and I’m worried the citric acid will hurt them but they seem to be happy and are right at the top layer of soil/mulch.

 

[Hollatchaboy]

I sprayed the plants with citric acid solution (a bit over 4 teaspoons in a 56 oz spray container) and a quarter teaspoon of yucca powder. It’s some strong stuff. It bubbles when I spray a lot in one spot. The thrips have definitely decreased in numbers and I am not seeing many larvae at all. I haven’t been looking for the predatory insects but I have found a few surviving ladybugs in the tents. The two plants that are deeper into flower were affected the worst. The others have some infestation but very minimal. I may buy the pirate bugs again but I’m scared that the citric acid will just kill them off along with the thrips. I noticed that when I spray the larvae they seem to die instantly, kind of shrinking. I am attaching a picture of my two plants (G13 Genius) from Brothers Grimm and Chernobyl Slymer Cut by Bob Bitchen. The single plant is Campbell County Cheese from Brisco’s Bargain Beans. I may be underfeeding these, I’m scared to go overboard on the Espoma Garden tone. There are also earthworms in the pots and I’m worried the citric acid will hurt them but they seem to be happy and are right at the top layer of soil/mulch.

I usually cover the top of the container before spraying. There's better ways to get rid of whatever is in the soil.

You'll need to spray at least a few more times. You need to break the life cycle.

 

[Avering]

I usually cover the top of the container before spraying. There's better ways to get rid of whatever is in the soil.

You'll need to spray at least a few more times. You need to break the life cycle.

Thank you, I’m gonna start covering it too. Definitely gonna keep spraying em nightly as long as it takes. Should I be careful about spraying the buds? Not sure if the thrips will squeeze in there

 

[Hollatchaboy]

Thank you, I’m gonna start covering it too. Definitely gonna keep spraying em nightly as long as it takes. Should I be careful about spraying the buds? Not sure if the thrips will squeeze in there

Don't spray nightly. Iirc, it's every 3 nights. I haven't had any bugs in 2 years. Maybe a couple gnats, but never more than that now.

 

[Avering]

Don't spray nightly. Iirc, it's every 3 nights. I haven't had any bugs in 2 years. Maybe a couple gnats, but never more than that now.

Okay, I will leave them alone then for 3 nights. I appreciate your help!

 

[Hollatchaboy]

Okay, I will leave them alone then for 3 nights. I appreciate your help!

So dr zymes suggests spraying 3 days in a row, then switch to once a week. That would be the target I would shoot for.

I believe thrips only feed on the leaves, but you should cover the entire plant. Top and bottom, top side and underside of leaves. Try not to miss anything.

Also, do you know the concentration of your solution?

 

[Avering]

So dr zymes suggests spraying 3 days in a row, then switch to once a week. That would be the target I would shoot for.

I believe thrips only feed on the leaves, but you should cover the entire plant. Top and bottom, top side and underside of leaves. Try not to miss anything.

Also, do you know the concentration of your solution?

Gotcha. I have sprayed them the last few days so I’ll take a small break then. I’ve been spraying top and bottom, and even rubbing the leaves with the solution, taking off the thrips by hand. So, it’s okay to spray directly on the buds as well? I’m spraying with dimmed lights just before lights out.

 

[HydoDan]

The downside to spraying buds is, it turns the pistils brown...
So, its up to you..

 

[Avering]

The downside to spraying buds is, it turns the pistils brown...
So, its up to you..

Thanks. I’m gonna grab another sprayer with purified water and hit the buds after I spray with citric acid.