thrips on Christmas Cactus
Quick answer
If your Christmas Cactus has thrips, the most likely cause is: Thrips are tiny slender insects with feathery wings that rasp Christmas cactus phylloclades and bud tissue while feeding on plant juices; badly infested segments will not recover from the feeding done by these sucking insects, and adults are best detected by tapping branches over white paper.
Start here:
- 1. Rinse the entire plant thoroughly with a fine spray of water outdoors or in the shower, rinse again after a few days, then follow up with insecticidal soap if the plant tolerates soap sprays; very delicate plants can be sprayed with 4 parts water to 3 parts rubbing alcohol every 7 to 10 days.
- 2. Remove badly infested phylloclades that will not recover, install sticky traps made from blue cardboard coated with petroleum jelly (thrips are drawn to bright blue), and treat severe outbreaks with carbaryl according to the label.
Why Christmas Cactus gets thrips
Schlumbergera bridgesii
Thrips are tiny slender insects with feathery wings that rasp Christmas cactus phylloclades and bud tissue while feeding on plant juices; badly infested segments will not recover from the feeding done by these sucking insects, and adults are best detected by tapping branches over white paper.
How to reverse thrips on Christmas Cactus
- 1
Rinse the entire plant thoroughly with a fine spray of water outdoors or in the shower, rinse again after a few days, then follow up with insecticidal soap if the plant tolerates soap sprays; very delicate plants can be sprayed with 4 parts water to 3 parts rubbing alcohol every 7 to 10 days.
- 2
Remove badly infested phylloclades that will not recover, install sticky traps made from blue cardboard coated with petroleum jelly (thrips are drawn to bright blue), and treat severe outbreaks with carbaryl according to the label.
Keep thrips off this Christmas Cactus
Inspect new Schlumbergera with a strong magnifying glass (16x or better) for feathery-winged thrips before adding them to a collection, isolate any infested plant, and avoid heat-stressed or dusty indoor air that favors thrips establishment.