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Western Flower Thrips
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Cherry - Thrips laying eggs in the ovary of cherry flowers cause a dimple-like injury to form on mature fruit. Just as the fruit begins to colour the dimple appears as a bright red spot against the yellow-green background.
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Identification
Adult - Slender, tan to dark brown, 1.2 mm long, with narrow fringed wings.Nymph - Similar to adult except wingless, smaller and yellow in colour.
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Life History
Western flower thrips overwinter as adults in protected sites on the ground. In the spring, adults fly to flowers of many plant species where they feed on blossoms and insert eggs into the flower parts. Second generation adults insert eggs into young apple fruitlets during bloom and petal-fall.Monitoring
No practical monitoring method has been developed for B.C.; however, their presence can be detected by using a beating tray when the blossoms begin to open.Control
Cultural - Do not mow blooming ground cover from 1 week before bloom until after petal-fall to reduce driving thrips up into apple trees.Chemical - There is no recommended chemical control because of the danger to pollinators during bloom when thrips cause most damage. Also western flower thrips are resistance to most commonly used insecticides. Assail, Admire and Success applied against others pests during petal fall will control any thrips present, however not before some damage has been done.
February 2004
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