By Luke Sumpter

You’ve got a plan in place to deal with aphids and slugs. Heck, you even actively shield your plants against the bad kinds of nematodes. But what’s your thrip strategy? Don’t leave your plants defenceless against these tissue-piercing critters. Once you get to the end of this article, you’ll have another notch on your pest management belt.


What Are Thrips?

Thrips are small flying insects that belong to the order Thysanoptera. Adult thrips are typically around 1.25mm in length, feature two pairs of narrow wings, and range from white and yellow to brown and black in appearance. The life cycle of a thrip starts when a female adult lays eggs on leaves or bud tissue. Over the next two weeks, the hatched larva will transform into a pre-pupa, pupa, and finally an adult thrip. Because they multiply so quickly, thrip infestations can quickly get out of hand.

Much like aphids, another rampant cannabis pest, thrips also possess sharp mouthparts that allow them to puncture the leaves and stems of plants. Although they can’t pierce deep into plants, they still manage to penetrate surface-level cells and suck out all of the goodness within, including minerals and sugars. One or two thrips damaging a handful of cells pose little risk to healthy cannabis plants. However, large numbers of these pests can suck dry enough cells to stunt growth and reduce yields.

thrip-mobile

Can Thrips Fly?

Thrips can absolutely fly. And don’t underestimate their aerial prowess based on their small size. These small critters can move over long distances by riding the wind. Even if thrips are present in a garden not directly adjacent to your own, they have the potential to access your weed plants regardless. Their ability to go airborne means growers need to consider how to protect their plants against their non-terrestrial movements. But worry not, you’ll discover some effective defence strategies below!

What Does Thrip Damage on Cannabis Leaves Look Like?

You’re now more clued up about these pesky critters, but how do you know when you have an infestation, and what does thrip damage look like? Of course, directly laying eyes on a thrip will confirm their presence. However, the key symptoms below will help you to detect them, even without seeing them yourself:

  • Stunted growth: A large thrip infestation will quickly sap plants of the resources they need to survive. A loss of key minerals and compounds, alongside a generalised stress response, will cause plants to lose their vigour and stop growing optimally.
  • Papery and distorted leaves: Thrip attacks also make once-luscious fan leaves appear rather weak and pitiful. They lose their turgidity and shape and become papery and unimpressive to the eye.
  • Black dots: Thrips won’t just gut the cells of your cannabis plant. No; they also have the audacity to leave faecal deposits behind after feasting. These black dots look unsightly and also contaminate cannabis buds.

plant-problems-mobile

How to Get Rid of Thrips on Cannabis Plants

A small number of thrips is not a cause for concern. Although some growers might be tempted to reach for their pesticide of choice upon seeing a single specimen, you should only take such drastic action during a serious invasion.

Below, we’ll walk you through some of the best ways to eradicate thrips from your cannabis garden or growing room. After that, we'll dispense advice on preventing them from gaining a foothold to begin with.

Insecticides

We’ll mention chemical insecticides, but we don’t particularly endorse their use. These harsh and environmentally damaging compounds work to get large commercial operations out of sticky situations, but they have serious long-term consequences if relied upon. These chemicals temporarily paralyse insects and are often combined with piperonyl butoxide to ensure the eradication of the species in question. Because they break down rapidly, growers need to make sure they make immediate, direct contact with pests. Though effective, pyrethrins (pest-toxic chemicals found in chrysanthemum flowers) are known to cause harm[1] to aquatic life, beneficial insects, and honey bees.

Neem Oil

This natural insecticide contains several active components that can stop thrips in their tracks, including azadirachtin[2]. As well as repelling insects, the compound prevents an array of insects from feeding, and disrupts their reproductive cycle. It puts an end to immediate damage caused by thrips and lowers their populations over time. To use it, simply add 1 tablespoon to 4l of water and add a few drops of dish soap to the mix. Stir thoroughly and pour into a spray bottle. Put on some gloves and eye protection, and get to work!

Predatory Insects

Thrips play an important role in several ecosystems and therefore have multiple natural predators. Cannabis growers can artificially introduce these beneficial species into their cultivation space to help bring down thrip numbers and control populations going forward. Some of the most effective predator insects for controlling thrips include:

  • Ladybugs: This iconic predatory insect usually shows up all on its own. However, if your garden is lacking in ladybugs, you can introduce them either as larvae or adult insects. Both of these stages of growth are ravenous thrip eaters!
  • Lacewings: Lacewings and thrips have several traits in common. They’re both small, have wings, and possess piercing mouthparts. However, they use their sharp appendages in very different ways. Whereas thrips use them to pierce plant flesh, lacewings use them to pierce and devour thrips themselves. You’ll find both lacewing eggs and larvae in some garden centres and grow shops.
  • Predatory mites: Several species of predatory mites also roam around cannabis plants in search of thrips. They may seem small and harmless to the naked eye, but they’re tough and hard-working predators with a particular appetite for thrip flesh! Amblyseius cucumeris is one of the best species to use to defend your plants from this pest. You can purchase them in sachets and release them according to product instructions.
  • Rove beetles: Before reaching the larval stage, thrip pupae drop down to the soil to develop. Here, rove beetles will happily feast on them—but not if you don’t provide the correct habitat! To get plenty of these beneficial nutrient cyclers roaming around your soil, you need to provide a good amount of mulch that they can call home. Lay down a couple of centimetres of grass clippings or dead leaves around your plants.

predatory-insects-mobile

Bacillus Thuringiensis

Bacillus thuringiensis, more simply known as BT, is a species of bacteria that can help growers deal with a thrip infestation organically. After spraying BT on plants, thrips and other pest insects see them as a food source and quickly devour them. However, once consumed, they start to release insecticidal compounds. These toxins wreak havoc on the digestive system of thrips and swiftly kill them.

What Is the Best Way to Prevent Thrips on Plants?

The options above are effective ways to deal with thrip infestations. However, you’ll save yourself time and effort, and protect your plants against stress and damage, by preventing thrips from becoming a problem in the first place. Now that you know the best thrip treatments, learn the most effective preventative measures.

Sticky Fly Traps

Sticky traps are extremely simple but highly effective. Their bright yellow colour naturally attracts thrips. Once they make physical contact with these sticky sheets, they become bound up and are no longer a threat to your plants. Simply hang several sticky traps around your plant canopies, and lay a couple on the surface of the soil to deal with pupae. While effective, sticky traps work in a scattershot fashion. They’ll also trap and kill other insect species, including beneficial ones. Keep this in mind when deploying this pest control method.

sticky-trap-mobile

Netting

Netting also provides an extremely simple solution to thrip infestations. Netting with a narrow meshwork will help to keep an array of unwanted critters off your cannabis plants. Plus, if you enjoy growing food alongside your weed, this piece of kit will also help to protect Brassica plants against the dreaded cabbage white butterfly. Adding to this, you’ll also keep your plants safe from hungry birds and curious household pets.

Cultivate Biodiversity

Remember when we said a small amount of thrips isn’t anything to fret about? That’s because they naturally show up as members of several ecosystems. If you’re growing weed in a biodiverse garden, the predator-prey balance will equalise things and keep thrip populations at a natural level. However, many growers opt for monocrops over polycultures. While it seems like a more efficient way of growing at first, it often backfires and promotes the spread of pests and disease. Surround your weed plants with a rich diversity of herbs and flowers to attract beneficial insects and save yourself a lot of work when it comes to pest management.

Practise Good Housekeeping

Consider what could act as a vector for thrips to enter your garden or growing room. Your clothes, the bottom of your shoes, cuttings, and other forms of plant material can all introduce this pest to your cultivation space. Make sure to clean your boots and even change clothes after arriving home from your friend's garden. Maintain a zero-clone policy and produce your own cuttings to drastically slash the odds of pests and diseases working their way into your growing operation.

Refresh Growing Medium

If you’re cultivating indoors, it’s a good idea to swap out your growing medium after each cycle. While more expensive than amending, it’ll help to keep pest problems down by removing eggs from the growing space between each run.

Will Thrips Ruin Your Cannabis Harvest?

Thrips can cause real issues when growing cannabis. They pale in comparison to other pests and diseases in terms of severity, but they can still stunt growth and lessen yields. However, these critters are easy to detect and simple to deal with once discovered. Plus, you’re now equipped with the knowledge to prevent them from causing trouble in the first place. Go on and grow with confidence!


Cookies settings

We are requesting your permission to use your data for the reasons stated below:

Functional cookies

Functional cookies help our website to function optimally and allow us to personalise certain features.

Preference cookies

Preference cookies allow us to remember information that influences the way our website looks, including your preferred language based on your region.

Analytical cookies

Analytical cookies give us insights into website traffic and customer behaviour, including how many people visit our site, how long they browse for, and which parts of our site they visit.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small pieces of data from a particular website that get stored on a user’s computer while they’re surfing the internet. Cookies have several different functions. Some of them track browser activity that enables businesses to deliver targeted advertisements. Other cookies serve to remember user login details to different websites to make jumping on social media, or other sites, a more fluid process. Because each cookie has its own unique ID, these pieces of data allow website owners to measure the unique traffic coming into their site.

Why do we use cookies?

Cookies come in handy when you visit our website. They ensure you stay logged in, that you can shop safely, and that the items you add to your cart stay there before you make a purchase. But cookies also help us. The data they provide allow us to improve our website and enable us to present you with targeted advertisements that are compatible with your interests.

What kind of cookies do we use?

Functional cookies

Functional cookies help our website to function optimally and allow us to personalise certain features.

Preference cookies

Preference cookies allow us to remember information that influences the way our website looks, including your preferred language based on your region.

Analytical cookies

Analytical cookies give us insights into website traffic and customer behaviour, including how many people visit our site, how long they browse for, and which parts of our site they visit.

How can I disable or delete cookies?

Not a fan of cookies? No worries. You can disable them (with the exception of necessary cookies) in your browser settings. However, blocking cookies may impact your browsing experience and prevent you from enjoying all of the technical features of our site.

Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: