Thrips on orchids
Last reviewed: 11.03.2025

Trips in orchids are one of the most common pests that can cause serious harm to your favorite plants. Their presence can weaken the orchid, lead to deformation of the leaves and reduce the quality of flowering. In this article we will discuss how tripps in orchids look, signs of their presence, and also how to deal with tripases in orchids using various methods and means.
What do tripps on orchids look like?
Trips are small insects up to 1-2 mm long. Their body is elongated, and the color varies from light yellow to black. Trips in orchids (photo) may be difficult to use it because of their small size and fast movement, but usually they can be seen with a careful examination of leaves and flowers. Often tripps reserve silver marks on the leaves, which is the result of their nutrition of plant juices.
Stages of the life cycle of thrips
Egg:
- Trips lay eggs in the tissues of leaves, buds and flowers.
- Outwardly, the eggs are invisible due to their placement inside the plants.
- The incubation period lasts from 3 to 10 days, depending on the temperature and humidity of the environment.
Larva:
- The hatched larvae immediately begin to eat plant juice.
- Larvae have a light, almost transparent color, which makes it difficult to detect.
- This stage lasts 4-7 days, during which larvae are actively eating.
Making:
- Larvae go to the Prokhni stage, stopping food.
- During this period, they hide in the soil or substrate of the plant.
- Message lasts about 1-2 days.
Nymph:
- The next stage is a nymph who continues to develop in shelters.
- It gradually becomes more mobile and acquires wings.
- This stage lasts 2-4 days.
Adult individual (Imago):
- Flapsed adult tripps are ready for reproduction.
- They are active for 20-30 days, eating vegetable juices and laying eggs.
- One female is capable of laying up to 200 eggs for the life cycle, which contributes to the rapid growth of the population.
Life cycle
The full life cycle of tripps takes 15-30 days, depending on temperature and humidity. Optimal conditions for their reproduction:
- Temperature: +25 ... +30 ° C.
- Humidity: 60–80%
Signs of the presence of tripps in orchids
Signs of tripps in orchids can vary, but the most characteristic include:
- Silver stripes or spots on the leaves. This is the main sign that tripas feeds on plant juice.
- Deformation of leaves. Leaves can become crooked, twisted or dry.
- The darkening of buds and flowers. Trips often affect flowers, which leads to their wilting or ugly spots.
- Black dots on the leaves are the waste of the life of tripps.
In the photo of thrips on orchids, you can see how these pests look, as well as the damage that they cause to the plant.
Trips fighting on orchids
The struggle with tripases in orchids requires an integrated approach, including both mechanical removal of pests and the use of chemical and biological products. Here are a few effective methods of combating tripps:
1. Mechanical removal
With a small number of pests, you can try to remove them manually. Wipe the leaves with a damp sponge or a cotton pad moistened in soapy solution. This will help remove part of the tripps from the surface of the plant.
2. Chemical means of struggle
There are many drugs that will help you get rid of tripps. How to process tripps in orchids? The most popular means include:
- Aktara. Aktara from tripps in orchids is a systemic insecticide that effectively destroys tripps. Dissolve the drug in accordance with the instructions and pour the plant or spray its leaves.
- Fitoverm. The phytoverm from the thrips in orchids is a biological insecticide that is safe for plants and people, but is detrimental to tripps. Processing should be carried out several times with an interval of 7-10 days.
- Batraider. The trips from the thrips in orchids also show good results in the fight against these pests.
3. Biological methods
To combat tripps, you can use their natural enemies - predatory ticks or insects that feed on tripps. This method is especially effective in greenhouses where you can create favorable conditions for predators.
4. Processing with insecticide soaps and oils
Insecticidal soaps and oils, such as it with it or potassium soap, can be used to process leaves. They form a film that complicates the breath of tripps and eventually destroys them.
Prevention of the appearance of tripps in orchids
To avoid the appearance of tripps in orchids, it is recommended to adhere to the following preventive measures:
- Regular examination of plants. Check the leaves and flowers for the presence of signs of pests, such as silver stripes or black dots.
- Insulation of new plants. New orchids should be isolated for several weeks to make sure that there are no pests before placing them next to other plants.
- Maintaining high humidity. Trips prefer a dry environment, so maintaining high humidity can reduce the risk of their appearance.
- Insecticides processing for preventive purposes. Periodic processing of plants with biological insecticides will help prevent infection.
Treatment of orchids from trypses
If you find tripps in orchids, it is important to start treatment as soon as possible. Here are the main steps for treatment:
- Idequate an infected plant to prevent the spread of tripps to other orchids.
- Remove the badly damaged parts of the plant, such as leaves or flowers that are no longer subject to restoration.
- Apply insecticide according to the instructions. Processing should be repeated several times to destroy all adults and putting tripps.
- Carry out re-processing after 7-10 days, since insecticides may not affect eggs, and after this time new larvae may appear.
Conclusion
Trips in orchids can become a serious problem for the flower grower, but with the right approach and timely treatment they can be successfully monitored. The struggle with tripases in orchids includes mechanical removal, the use of chemical and biological products, as well as preventive measures that will help prevent re-infection. Regular examination of plants and maintaining a healthy environment will help your orchids remain beautiful and healthy.
If you notice the signs of tripps in orchids, such as silver stripes or black dots on the leaves, do not postpone processing. Use proven insecticides, such as Aktara or Fitoverm, and follow the care recommendations so that your orchids delight you with health and lush flowering.