Thrips

There are over six thousand different types of thrips discovered across the world. There are five different types of thrips which are very common and regularly are spotted in marijuana plants and should be known to all growers. The five most common types of thrips are flower thrips, western flower thrips, greenhouse thrips, onion/tobacco thrips, and banded greenhouse thrips.

Appearance

The thrips can look a lot different but most of them are really small – around an eighth of an inch in length. Thrips have narrow bodies and can usually be spotted eating the marijuana leaves and sometimes the stems of the dope plants as well. The color of thrips can vary from a yellow/brown shade to being a shade of green. The best way to identify thrips would be just based on the size and where on the weed plants they are spotted.

Life

The females will lay eggs which are almost impossible to notice just beneath the surface of the leaves. An egg will last about two to four days and an adult thrip can live for six to seven weeks if you don’t kill it. the temperature can play a major role in how fast the thrips age.

Damage

There will be a splotchy display on the marijuana leaves from the thrips feeding off of the marijuana leaves. The thrips can cost the leaves to roll up or down, blister, change color, and possibly drop. There is a chance that thrips can cause a life threatening virus to the marijuana plants as well.

The best way to try to prevent thrips from infesting your crop you will have to regularly watch for them. You can use sticky cards to try to trap the adult thrips. Use a few sticky cards to try to eliminate the majority of the thrips once you notice they are infecting your cannabis plants.