Re: Sick Sarracenia

Phil Soderman (sgrower1@rain.org)
Wed, 24 Aug 1994 12:40:03 -0700 (PDT)

Thrips generally are leaf-flower-growing point feeders
A small insect called Collemba is often found in moist soils. They will
attack roots of plants but are generally thought to feed on decaying
organic matter. They have the ability to float on water surfaces. In
heavy infestations, like the zillions described, they seem to make the
soil water REPELLENT. They are similar in size to many thrips species
but are notable for their jumping or hopping when disturbed. They can be
controlled with insecticides.Phil Soderman sgrower1@rain.org
On Wed, 24 Aug
1994, Jeffrey Michael Stein wrote:

> > found zillions of invertebrates. I took new samples into the
> > entomology dept. and had it verified as thrips.
> >
> > To look for thrips, you'll probably need a hand-lens. Look for
> > small crawling insects about 0.5--1.0 mm long, and about .25 mm
> > wide. They are elongated crawling insects that are semi-transparent
> > (at least mine are). They suck fluids and expell droplets onto the
> > plant. I'm going to get rid of mine by swabbing the leaves with a
> > bit of alcohol, and letting them sit in shade for a few hours as the
> > alcohol dries. They apparently do not enter the roots.
> >
> >
> > Barry
> >
> >
> Do thrips have the ability to sit on water w/o breaking the surface
> tension? I have some insects that seem to love living in wet & moist
> soils. They get flushed out when I water but float around in the
> terrarium just fine. They have the ability to stay top of the water
> and actually jump several centimeters when disturbed. The have spread
> to many of my house-plants, but don't seem to cause a problem for
> anything. They can get 2-3mm long and are usually clear.
>
> Jeff
>
>
>