Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
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Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
I am growing my EML's in SWC's. They are covered in thrips and look horribly miserable. have tried several organic sprays that list thrips as something they control. I've sprayed until the plants are soaking wet, I've made sure to get the stems, and all around the bottoms of the plants. NOTHING is killing these things. I've never had this issue before and am desperate before I lose them and any seed tomatoes I might have gotten. Help, please? Thank you.
North Central AL (mountains)
Zone 7
Zone 7
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Re: Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
you sure you have thrips? thrips normally are so tiny you cant hardly see them except on a dark piece of paper after you have tapped the flowers over it.
do you have spider mites? they cover the leaves and eventually make them look gritty and webby. a good hard spray of water will help.
do you have spider mites? they cover the leaves and eventually make them look gritty and webby. a good hard spray of water will help.
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Re: Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
OK, here are pictures of the bugs and the 2 insecticides. I just squished one of the bugs crawling on my phone from where I took the pictures. Ugh!
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North Central AL (mountains)
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Zone 7
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Re: Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
There are also some aphids. When it rains it pours. And hitting the plants with water does nothing to help either 
North Central AL (mountains)
Zone 7
Zone 7
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Re: Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
those are aphids. soapy water, insecticdal soap, a hard spray of water not a gentle sprinkle... lady bugs. lace wings.
the first one won't help as an immediate knockdown. the second should knock them down immediately but make sure you are covering the tops and bottoms of the leaves with the soapy water. if you can find some lady bugs they will clean up the aphids pretty quick.
the first one won't help as an immediate knockdown. the second should knock them down immediately but make sure you are covering the tops and bottoms of the leaves with the soapy water. if you can find some lady bugs they will clean up the aphids pretty quick.
- bower
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Re: Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
I remember reading that people would brew up tomato leaves to knock out aphids! But I've noticed that there are a some tomatoes that seem to be susceptible to them, all the same. Aphids on other tomato plants seemed to be self limiting, they weren't a problem later in the season.
I agree with Carolyn, good advice to spray the heck out of them with water and repeat as required.
I've tried a variety of soap products for aphids on peppers (which really get it bad!) and I conclude they are useless... you will simply repeat and repeat ad nauseum and expense, which does no better than plain water IMO. Very disappointed in soap.
Just re-read that water didn't work for you. Need ladybugs!
I agree with Carolyn, good advice to spray the heck out of them with water and repeat as required.
I've tried a variety of soap products for aphids on peppers (which really get it bad!) and I conclude they are useless... you will simply repeat and repeat ad nauseum and expense, which does no better than plain water IMO. Very disappointed in soap.

Just re-read that water didn't work for you. Need ladybugs!
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm
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Re: Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
OK, thank you all very much. I will get some regular (blue) Dawn and mix up a bunch of it and soak the heck out of the plants. Do you leave the soapsuds on the plants, or rinse it off?
North Central AL (mountains)
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- pepperhead212
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Re: Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
And get rid of any ants in the soil around them, as they farm the aphids. I always sprinkle a bunch of banana peel powder around the base - something that is supposed to keep ants away.
I've had a few varieties of tomatoes that would get covered with aphids, and no matter how many times I'd get rid of them, they would re-appear, while the other varieties wouldn't have any!
Something that I use on okra, to keep aphids off (the main plant I have an aphid problem with), is Surround, which I also spray on large tomatoes. Be sure to cover the undersides of the leaves, as that's where many bugs congregate, like the flea beetles, on eggplants.
I've had a few varieties of tomatoes that would get covered with aphids, and no matter how many times I'd get rid of them, they would re-appear, while the other varieties wouldn't have any!
Something that I use on okra, to keep aphids off (the main plant I have an aphid problem with), is Surround, which I also spray on large tomatoes. Be sure to cover the undersides of the leaves, as that's where many bugs congregate, like the flea beetles, on eggplants.
Last edited by pepperhead212 on Wed Jun 03, 2020 3:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b
- MissS
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Re: Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
I leave the soap on for about 10-15 minutes and then rinse it off. The soap suffocates the bugs and once it is dry it is no longer needed. I also do this while the sun is low, either early am or before dusk so as not to cause a sunburn on the plants.
~ Patti ~
AKA ~ Hooper
AKA ~ Hooper
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Re: Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
I had peach aphids (the pink ones) on my tomatoes one year and the spray of water worked better than anything that I tried. I does not need to be real forceful because aphids are small and weak. Don't blast your tomatoes with a hard spray.
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Re: Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
I have a hose end sprayer that mixes the concentrate of whatever you are spraying. Soak the heck outta the plant And leave the soap on. I never rinse it off.
I do agree about the ants. They farm aphids for their honeydew. Check for infestations or colonies on plants around your yard. Get rid of those too.
I do agree about the ants. They farm aphids for their honeydew. Check for infestations or colonies on plants around your yard. Get rid of those too.
- peebee
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Re: Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
Whenever I see aphids the first thing I do is squish as many as I can with my bare hands. Many fall to the ground & I kill those too. Then I spray with the hose. I repeat this daily if not twice a day till they're gone. Best done before there is a major infestation of course but it can happen so quickly. Hope yours go away soon.
Zone 10, Southern California
Will eat anything once before I judge.
Anything meaning any foods of course.
Will eat anything once before I judge.
Anything meaning any foods of course.
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Re: Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
Try Azamax. Worked on my leafminers when nothing else would, and aphids are listed on the label.
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- Nico
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Re: Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
I use pure potassium soap, a tablespoon for a liter of water and they die to the instant, it is also a totally ecological product
Plants have, like animals, in the degree and almost in the form, the sensitivity, that essential attribute of life.
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Re: Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
When I've sprayed water, it only worked if I used a shower nozzle. Just spraying with my finger in the hose didn't get rid of the aphids, but using a shower nozzle did get rid of them very well (repeat at least every two days until they're gone, if you try that).
Location: SW Idaho, USA
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Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet
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Re: Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
I sprayed with watered-down Dawn (regular blue) yesterday. It poured the rain last night and this morning so I will probably spray again tomorrow. Does anyone know if it's OK to spray Daconil the same day as you spray soap?
North Central AL (mountains)
Zone 7
Zone 7
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Re: Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
Yes it is. I have used a couple of drops of Dawn as a spreader when I sprayed Daconil. Be sure not to spray it in the heat of the day so that you don't sunburn your plants. Morning and evening are best for this.
~ Patti ~
AKA ~ Hooper
AKA ~ Hooper
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Re: Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
I'm not sure they can be saved at this point but I am trying everything I know to do 
North Central AL (mountains)
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- Sue_CT
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Re: Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
Although heavily infested, in the photos above the plants actually still look pretty healthy. I hope you are able to get this under control. I am having trouble with all my ML plants this year, too. For some reason the lower leaves were all drying up and falling off while they were still inside under lights. I have other plants that also had the problem but some that were very vegorous and healthy, just not ML. I never saw any bugs and I am not really sure what was going on. I pray nothing seed born disease wise, as I would be devistated if I introduced some kind of bad disease into my soil. But I planted what seemed like the best two plants from your seed and one or two more from my saved seeds so I can compare them. They are way behind other plants in the garden, but seem to be growing. Fingers crossed. If I get fruit from the ones I grew from your seed I will save seed in case you want more. Fingers crossed this turns around for you. 

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Re: Thrips are killing my Mortgage Lifters
So you tried Surround, like Pepperhead said, and Azamax, as I suggested, already and neither are working?
Wet and windy side of a Hawaiian island, just living the dream