ABT Populations Low Across South Florida

Web AdminFlorida, Pests, Research

Asian bean thrips (ABT) populations remain low across the South Florida region, according to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).

Scouting detected ABTs at a rate of less than 0.1 per bloom across most of the monitored fields. The one exception was eastern Immokalee, where populations reached 0.5 per bloom late in the crop cycle.

Respondents indicate that ABT populations in Homestead, Florida continue to vary depending on the location. Current numbers are much less than early-season population densities, though current populations are greater than the rest of South Florida.

ABT counts on sticky traps were reported in the single digits at all locations, though the trap data may have been impacted by one-third of the traps being knocked down.

Click here for previous scouting reports.

ABT Populations