How do I get rid of thrips on houseplants?

Rinse the plant thoroughly to dislodge adults, then spray with insecticidal soap or a spinosad-based spray. UC IPM advises repeating the application periodically as long as thrips and susceptible plant parts are present. Because most thrips drop to the soil or leaf litter to pupate, clear fallen leaves from the pot surface and keep up the foliar sprays for several cycles (UC IPM notes imidacloprid generally is not recommended for thrips). Yellow or blue sticky cards trap winged adults and help monitor population. Keep the plant isolated from your other houseplants until the thrips are gone.

How do I prevent thrips?

Watch new plants closely, especially flowering ones, where thrips often hide. UC IPM advises checking new houseplants weekly, then monthly once several weeks pass with no problems. Avoid bringing in cut flowers from outdoors during thrips season.

Pest identification · Thysanoptera

Thrips on Houseplants

Thrips are slender, minute insects (less than 1/20 inch long) that rasp leaf surfaces and suck out the contents, leaving silvery streaks, deformed new growth, and black fecal specks. They breed quickly and are commonly introduced on new plants.

Read the full thrips treatment guide

How to identify thrips

Adults are slender and less than 1/20 inch long, ranging from translucent white or yellowish to dark brown or black (per UC IPM). Easier to spot than the thrips: silvery streaks on leaves, distorted new growth, and tiny black dots (frass) on leaves.

Damage to look for

Silvery or bronze streaks on upper leaf surfaces, distorted or curled new growth, tiny black specks of frass, leaf drop in severe cases.

Life cycle (why they spread so fast)

In warm weather the life cycle from egg to adult can take as little as 2 weeks. Females lay eggs on or into leaves, buds and other plant parts. Most species drop to the soil or leaf litter to pupate, which makes integrated soil + foliar treatment important.

How to get rid of thrips

1Rinse the plant thoroughly to dislodge adults, then spray with insecticidal soap or a spinosad-based spray. UC IPM advises repeating the application periodically as long as thrips and susceptible plant parts are present.
2Because most thrips drop to the soil or leaf litter to pupate, clear fallen leaves from the pot surface and keep up the foliar sprays for several cycles (UC IPM notes imidacloprid generally is not recommended for thrips).
3Yellow or blue sticky cards trap winged adults and help monitor population.
4Keep the plant isolated from your other houseplants until the thrips are gone.

How to prevent thrips

Watch new plants closely, especially flowering ones, where thrips often hide. UC IPM advises checking new houseplants weekly, then monthly once several weeks pass with no problems.
Avoid bringing in cut flowers from outdoors during thrips season.

Per-species treatment guides

Treatment varies slightly by plant. Find your species below for a dedicated guide.

Source: UC IPM — Thrips. Other figures: UC IPM — Houseplant Problems, as named in the text.