thrips on Phalaenopsis
Quick answer
If your Phalaenopsis has thrips, the most likely cause is: Thrips are fast-moving, fly-like insects that feed on orchid flowers and leaves by piercing the tissue and sucking the sap; on Phalaenopsis this feeding produces silver or dry edges on the flowers, contorted buds that fail to open properly, and silvery or glaucous patches on leaves, and the pests hide in leaf axils and crevices so an infestation is usually noticed only after the stippling has already appeared.
Start here:
- 1. Spray the entire plant (top and underside of every leaf, into the leaf axils, and into the pot) with a systemic insecticide, repeating at intervals of 2-3 months and changing the active ingredient occasionally so resistant strains do not build up.
- 2. Syringe leaves and flowers with plain water on a regular schedule to physically wash thrips off the tissue and lower the population before buds become distorted.
Why Phalaenopsis gets thrips
Phalaenopsis
Thrips are fast-moving, fly-like insects that feed on orchid flowers and leaves by piercing the tissue and sucking the sap; on Phalaenopsis this feeding produces silver or dry edges on the flowers, contorted buds that fail to open properly, and silvery or glaucous patches on leaves, and the pests hide in leaf axils and crevices so an infestation is usually noticed only after the stippling has already appeared.
How to reverse thrips on Phalaenopsis
- 1
Spray the entire plant (top and underside of every leaf, into the leaf axils, and into the pot) with a systemic insecticide, repeating at intervals of 2-3 months and changing the active ingredient occasionally so resistant strains do not build up.
- 2
Syringe leaves and flowers with plain water on a regular schedule to physically wash thrips off the tissue and lower the population before buds become distorted.
- 3
Inspect plants weekly by looking underneath leaves and into leaf crevices for silvery streaking or distorted buds, and treat with insecticidal soap several times a few days apart, dousing the plant all over and under the leaves so the spray soaks into the pot.
Keep thrips off this Phalaenopsis
Quarantine newly purchased orchids for several weeks before placing them near established Phalaenopsis, and keep the surrounding air on the humid side because thrips favour a hot dry atmosphere and reproduce more slowly in humid conditions.