Thrips Populations Increasing in Southern Florida

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Thrips populations continue to build across central and southern Florida, according to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline.

Florida thrips
Attached graphic courtesy of South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline.

Pressure is moderate to high on tomato in central Florida, while chili thrips are a problem in strawberries.

Thrips have increased in intensity in southwest Florida as well. Overall pressure is moderate, but there are locations with high pressure and lots of melon thrips that are causing foliar and fruit scarring. Melon thrips were reported in pepper, eggplant, cucumbers and watermelon. Hugh Smith, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) entomologist, says thrips in beans consist mostly of Florida flower thrips.

Thrips are reportedly low in the Everglades Agricultural Area, though reaching moderate levels in some locations. Defen Mou, UF/IFAS entomologist, indicates sticky traps in lettuce are recording 50 thrips per week, with a maximum of 150.

Along the east coast, thrips are increasing in beans. Low to moderate western flower thrips populations were observed in some pepper fields.

Populations are moderate to high and are steadily increasing in beans, eggplant, pepper, tomatoes and peas in Homestead, Florida. Dak Seal, UF/IFAS entomologist, reports moderate levels of melon thrips in squash, eggplant and pepper, along with high levels in beans. Elevated levels of western flower thrips were seen in beans.

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Source: South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline